Choice to be Different
by Kizmet
Summary: Just before Gohan starts High School Trunks and Goten decide they need a few new playmates. They find the Dragon Balls and wish youthful versions of their fathers into their time line.
1. If Wishes were Horses

**Choice to be Different**

**Chapter One: If Wishes were Horses**

**Disclaimer:** Dragonball Z characters and situations belong to Akira Toriyama, I'm just taking them out for a non-profit spin.

**Author's Note: **This is an older story that's been sitting on my hard drive for a while (actually the story idea was pretty much my first idea for a DBZ fanfic). I abandoned it after getting writers block then deciding that I wanted to avoid messing with cannon as much as possible in my DBZ stories. Still I really like the idea for this story, so I kept coming back to it. I tried rewriting it into different time frames so that it wouldn't come into conflict with the "Saiyaman Saga" but it just works best in the time frame where I originally imagined it. So finally I gave in and rewrote it to try to minimize the changes to cannon. Initially I had Gohan being so distracted that he never actually asked Bulma for the Saiyaman costume and just kept on using the 'Gold Fighter' identity as his secret identity. Since it was the Gohan/Videl plot line that was causing me the most misery, writing it out and just letting things stay closer to what actually happened in the series resolved a lot of the problems I was having with this fic.

* * *

Goten stared at the sky listlessly. Worriedly Trunks watched his best friend. "What's wrong Chibi? Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Hn-huh," Goten signed and shook his head.

"Okay, now I'm really worried," Trunks stated.

"I was just wonderin' what my daddy was like," Goten said. "Everybody at your mom's party kept sayin' I'm just like him and, well, I was just wonderin' if I really was."

Trunks thought about that for a few moments. "I know where Mom hides the Dragon Ball radar. We could wish him back," the lavender haired boy suggested.

Goten sighed again. "He doesn't want to be wished back. I heard Mommy and Big Brother talking one night after I was s'posed to be asleep."

Trunks frowned darkly at that. "Well dads aren't that great anyway. All mine ever wants to do is train and most of the time he won't even turn the gravity down enough for me to train with him. You've got Gohan. He's better anyway, he plays with you sometimes."

"It must be a grown-up thing," Goten said. "Big Brother doesn't like playing with me as much anymore. Not since he started getting ready to go to High School. He's always too busy studyin' for his, his 'placement exams'. It's too bad we couldn't have our dads here as kids, I bet they'd like to do stuff with us then."

Trunks stared at the other demi-Saiyan in amazement. "Goten you're brilliant!" he declared.

"What? I am? Why?" Goten asked as he scratched the back of his head in puzzlement.

"On very rare occasions," Trunks qualified. "We'll get the Dragon Balls and wish for kid versions of our dads to play with."

"Will that work?" Goten asked, his eyes huge.

Trunks shrugged. "If a teenaged version of me can come back to the fight I don't see why kid-versions of our dads couldn't come forward to play. Let's do it!"

* * *

A small boy with wild, dark hair and a tail watched intently as the last piece of the small model of the Dragon Shenlong was glued back together. Then the elderly Kami restored the dragon to life. And with the dragon the Dragon Balls were restored. "Normally, they would be ordinary rocks for the next year, but this time I'll make an exception and grant your wish immediately."

"Really!?" the boy exclaimed. "Can I go watch everybody come back to life too?!"

"I thought you promised to train here..." Kami reminded the boy.

"Oh, yeah."

"You must show three year's patience, you will be able to see your companions at the next Tenka'ichi Budokai Tournament."

The boy looked surprised. "Tenka'ichi Budokai?! You even know about that?!"

"Someone else will come to that tournament - Piccolo - Wanting your life."

"Piccolo!?" The boy exclaimed then disappeared.

Kami and his assistant Mr. Popo blinked at the spot where the boy had been.

_Author's Note: Dialogue direct quoted from Dragon Ball Vol. 14_

* * *

The cruelly handsome emerald skinned mercenary glared down at the flame-haired boy crouched defensively in front of him. The boy's tail was wrapped closely around his waist and his eyes glittered with outrage.

"I am Prince Vegeta of the Saiyans!" the boy snarled furiously as he launched himself at the larger warrior. "You will show me respect!"

"Don't you get it you little brat? You're the Prince of a dead race! The future King of a handful of stardust. In other words you are nothing special." Zarbon said coldly as he knocked the boy to the floor and pinned him there by planting his foot firmly on the boy's chest. "You were a Prince; you were the son of Frieza's ally. Now you're just another soldier in his army. You have no world to go home to. You have no army behind you. You have no position and no rights in this organization beyond those you can earn with your fists. Now I admit you're good enough to survive, even without that idiot of a bodyguard's help and that's not bad for a little brat. But I am Lord Frieza's right-hand man. I am your better and you will acknowledge me as such or you'll be spending the next two weeks in a regeneration tank, do you understand me you stupid little monkey?"

Despite the foot on is chest and an eye that was rapidly swelling shut the boy contrived to look bored. "Blowhard," he muttered. "In love with the sound of your own voice."

Zarbon drew back his foot to kick the downed boy and in that second the boy was back on his feet. He smirked smugly. Zarbon smoothly changed the angle of his attack and smashed his heel into the boy's stomach. The young prince crumpled to his knees. Zarbon kicked him viciously then grinned at the sound of cracking ribs.

A hulking warrior stepped out of the crowd. He wondered how he was supposed to get his prince out of _this_ mess.

The boy glared at him. "Nappa! Stay out of my fight!" he snarled as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

"Yes Nappa, let the brat learn his lesson," Zarbon said mockingly. "The next time he mouths off at me I might just kill him." He sneered at the boy. "But today I'm in a good mood so I'll let him off lightly."

Zarbon aimed another kick at the boy's head but this time his foot passed through empty air. The force of the kick was such that the green-skinned fighter over-balanced himself and fell on his butt.

* * *

"Your wish has been granted!" the Eternal Dragon declared then vanished. He left behind four boys, two ecstatic and two confused.

"Hey, where'd Kami go?" Goku asked. He looked around curiously as if the elderly god were hiding somewhere.

Vegeta gritted his teeth and forced himself to his feet. "Where the fuck am I?" he demanded. Every movement sent slivers of pain lancing though him as his broken ribs protested but he was determined not to show any weakness.

"We did it!" Trunks exclaimed triumphantly. The two boys studied their young fathers with great interest.

"I am Prince Vegeta! I demand you tell me what you've done with me!" the flame-haired boy yelled.

"Yep, he's your dad alright," Goten remarked.

Vegeta snarled at the boys. He was injured and alone in some strange place. He was supposed to be waking up from Zarbon's beating in the infirmary or after having his wounds treated by Nappa depending on the severity of the beating. He was not supposed to be on an alien planet without even a scouter. 'Has Zarbon abandoned me here?' Vegeta worried. 'What am I supposed to do?' He was Saiyan. Most of the galaxy had celebrated the news of Vegeta-sai's destruction. Outside of Frieza's army he had no where to go. As bad as things were within Frieza's forces it would be worse without their dubious protection. He wasn't ready yet, he was supposed to have Nappa and Radditz with him when he broke free of Frieza.

As Vegeta's thoughts sank into a panicky spiral Goku noticed something. "You have a tail!" he announced. "You're the first person I've ever met who had one like mine! When I was little I used to think Grandpa was weird because he _didn't _have a tail. But then I met Bulma and she didn't have one either. I thought it might be because she's a girl She was the first girl I ever met ya know. It turned out _no one_ else had a tail! _My_ taileven vanished a couple of times then I didn't have a tail either, but it grew back. Do you know why we have tails and no one else does?"

Vegeta's tail, which had been dragging tiredly behind him, curled around his waist when Goku drew attention to it. "I have a tail because I'm a Saiyan you dolt!" Vegeta snapped.

"What's a Saiyan?" Goku asked innocently. "Do you think I'm one?" He turned around to show off the tail curling behind him. "See, I have a tail too."

Vegeta stared at Goku skeptically. A part of him was excited at the idea of having found another surviving Saiyan, especially one who looked to be about the same age as he was and not being alone in this strange situation wouldn't be a bad thing but... "You don't act like any Saiyan I've ever heard of," Vegeta accused. "Even if you do have a tail."

"What do you mean?" Goku asked.

"He means you're smiling, you're friendly and you like people," Trunks explained.

Goten nodded. "You hit your head when you were a little baby and forgot you were Saiyan," he added.

"Oh, okay," Goku said. Then his eyes got big and he turned to Vegeta worriedly. "Does that mean you don't like people or smile?" he asked. "That doesn't sound like much fun."

"Feh," Vegeta spat in disgust. He glared at Trunks and Goten. "Why have you brought me here?"

"You've got an owie," Goten noted Vegeta's blackened eye with concern. When he tried to get a closer look at the damage Vegeta jerked away defensively. The little prince's broken ribs decided enough was enough, the wave of pain left Vegeta curled up on the ground with his arms wrapped around his chest and coughing up blood.

"Trunks, I think we better take your dad to one of our moms," Goten said.

Trunks nodded, seeing an expression of pain on his father's face was, quite frankly, freaking him out. "How are we going to move him?" Trunks said to himself. "I don't think me carrying him is a good idea."

Together Goten and Goku shouted, "Kinto'un!" The golden cloud obediently shot out of the sky and hovered in front of the boys.

Trunks shook his head. "I don't think Kinto'un will let Dad ride it, even if he is still a kid, it never let me."

Goten sighed as his friend spotted the hole in his plan.

"Oh that's no problem," Goku said. "He can hang on to me like Kuririn used to."

"I don't need help from the likes of you," Vegeta hissed. He tried to climb back to his feet.

Trunks frowned. "We can all see you're hurt."

"I'm not weak!" the flame-haired boy shouted, his eyes wild. "I don't need help!"

"Fine! Have it your way," Trunks said angrily as he stalked past the chibi version of his father.

"Trunks!" Goten protested.

Trunks smashed his elbow into the back of Vegeta's skull and Vegeta crumpled without a sound. "Problem solved," Trunks said. "Goku get on Kinto'un and I'll hand him up to you. We're taking him to my mom."

"Trunks! You knocked your dad out!" Goten exclaimed.

A very Vegeta-like smirk crossed Trunks' face. "He was being a brat. You ready Goku?"

"Yup," Goku replied as he sat down on Kinto'un and held out his arms for Vegeta.

"How 'm I getting back?" Goten worried. "I can't fly yet either."

"Don't worry. I'll carry you," Trunks said. He grabbed Goten beneath the arms and took to the air, Goku followed with Vegeta cradled in his lap.

Goten giggled. "I hope Vegeta-san doesn't wake-up before we get there," he said.

* * *

Gohan sighed in relief as he walked out of Orange Star High. The Entrance Exams had been a piece of cake, no where near as hard as his mom had made it out to be. "All that worrying and studying, the Exams were almost a let down," he said to himself. Now all he had to do was go pick up his younger brother after a day of playing with Trunks and hope the boys hadn't caused as much trouble as he suspected they had.

Gohan flew to Capsule Corps and let himself in. After several minutes of searching he heard voices and followed them. Gohan opened the door looked inside. Then he shut it and opened it again; the scene hadn't changed.

There was Vegeta standing on the far side of the room, his arms crossed over his chest with a scowl on his face. Trunks stood on one side of the room, the lavender-haired boy looked thoroughly chastised. Two Gotens flanked Trunks and a mini-Vegeta was getting his ribs taped up by Bulma.

"Do I even want to ask why we've got two Gotens and two Vegetas?" Gohan asked.

"I'm not Goten, I'm Goku! See, I've got a tail."

Goten looked a bit downhearted at his lack of a tail so Goku patted him on the shoulder consolingly.

"Dad?" Gohan asked in disbelief.

Goku glanced at Goten questioningly.

"Yep, that's Gohan, he's my big brother," Goten confirmed. Bulma and Vegeta shared an exasperated look.

"Wow, I've never been a dad before," Goku replied. "I never even had a dad. I used to have a Grandpa but he got squished by a monster."

"Kakarrot, shut up," Vegeta said.

"Huh, who are ya talking to?" Goku wondered. "I mean I was the only one talking but my name's Son Goku, not Ka... carrot? Or whatever."

"Kakarrot is your Saiyan name, I refuse to refer to you by that ridiculous earth appellation."

"But my Grandpa gave me that name," Goku protested.

Vegeta smirked. "It's either Kakarrot or Moron."

"It's okay if you call me Carrot," Goku sighed.

"Don't worry about it Son-kun," Bulma said. "Vegeta's just being Vegeta, you'll learn to ignore him like the rest of us do."

"Woman!" Vegeta snapped.

"See," Bulma said. "Now Gohan, I trust you noticed our unscheduled solar eclipse this afternoon?"

Gohan nodded. "I was hoping it wasn't what I thought it was."

"Yes, well these two troublemakers decided they needed more playmates so they wished child versions of their fathers into our time. Seeing as how I don't have a working design for a time machine yet we've got two choices: either we wait a year while the Dragon Balls recharge or we go on a field trip to New Namek and borrow their Dragon Balls."

"Mom would kill me if I tried to leave on the Dragon Ball hunt right before I'm supposed to start school," Gohan said. Goten nodded in agreement.

"I can't stay on this backwater mudball for a year!" the younger Vegeta exploded. Beneath the anger the look in his eyes was panicky. "Nappa and Radditz will fall apart without me there!"

The older Vegeta gave a disgusted and disbelieving snort. Without their Prince Nappa and Radditz would be fully absorbed into Frieza's army. They'd become two more nameless mercenaries rather than the last pitiful remnants of the Saiyan Empire. Vegeta knew that he had always been the lightening-rod for trouble among the survivors of Vegeta-sai. He knew that the boy's real concern was that returning to Frieza after a year's desertion would be a death sentence and without Frieza's army around him the Saiyan Prince would be an easy target for all those who had reason to hate Saiyans. The boy wasn't strong enough to survive without Frieza yet.

Goku looked worried. "I promised Kami that I'd train with him. Just before I ended up here he said something about Piccolo coming back. After last time I think it's really important that I get ready for him."

"Oh don't worry," Bulma reassured the two boys. "We're talking about time travel here. We'll just ask Shenlong to send you back a moment after you left. You won't lose any time."

"Neat," Goku said then frowned again. "Still, I can't just take a year off... I know, I'll go find Kami in this time and he can start my training now."

"But Dende isn't a fighter," Goten said. "And why are you fighting Piccolo-san anyway; he's-"

Gohan clapped a hand over his younger brother's mouth. "Just because someone's good now doesn't mean that they were always good," he whispered to Goten. "And we can't just go around telling people about their futures."

Goten flushed and turned his eyes toward the floor. Vegeta and Bulma had already lectured them about that, but he kept forgetting. And by the time Trunks and Goten received the lectured they'd already shared quite a bit.

"There's a different Kami?" Goku asked. "And he's not a Martial Artist?" The boy sighed. "I guess I'll just have to keep training on my own while I wait. I hope I don't lose any ground."

"Son-kun! You can't just go off on your own!" Bulma exclaimed forgetting the fact that he had done exactly that all the time when they were younger. As a teenager she wouldn't have thought twice about Goku deciding to take off on a solo training trip to who-knows-where. But seeing Goku standing beside Trunks and Goten looking like his young son's twin Bulma couldn't help but react like a mother. If Goten was too young to be on his own then the same must hold true for Goku who looked no older.

Bulma's face lit up with inspiration. "I know! You can train with Vegeta until you go back."

"He can do WHAT!!!" Vegeta exclaimed while Gohan stared at Bulma as if she were mad.

Bulma pulled Vegeta aside and whispered. "I remember that fight, it was brutal. We can't ask _Piccolo_ to train him and Gohan has High School, it has to be you."

"No."

"And if you're not helping him I won't have time to keep the Gravity Room repaired," Bulma smiled sweetly.

Vegeta scowled.

Meanwhile the younger Vegeta was thinking about the possibilities. He'd reappear in the middle of his fight with Zarbon completely healed and with a year's worth of improvement. Surely in a year he'd be strong enough to defeat Zarbon. "I'm going to train too!" the young prince declared.

Goku stared at Vegeta with pleading, hopeful eyes. The younger Vegeta's gaze was arrogant and demanding. "No repairs to the GR for a year," Bulma whispered.

"Alright, I'll do it," Vegeta said. He hardly believed the words coming out of his own mouth.

"Yippeee!!" Goku cheered.

Gohan frowned worried by the thought of his younger and infinitely more vulnerable father training with the mercurial prince given their history together.

Trunks scowled; he'd wished for a younger father to play with him but even as a child it seemed that all his dad cared about was training. Not only was his young father not playing with him, the brat was going to cut into the time he spent with his real father.

"Can I train with you too?" Goten asked Vegeta. He didn't want to be left out.

"Sure, why not? The more the merrier," Vegeta agreed unhappily.

Bulma beamed at her husband. "Now that that's settled there's just the matter of where you'll be staying. Gohan, I'm sure you want Goku staying with you..."

Gohan's expression twisted with embarrassment and unhappiness. He caught Bulma's elbow and pulled her away from the group. "Bulma, please can he stay here?" the teenager asked quietly. "I mean he's my dad but he's not my dad. It's like - It's hard having him almost back but not really, it's like looking through a window at a Thanksgiving feast you're not invited to. Mom's having a hard enough time. I - I don't want to remind her of what she lost." There was a look of pain and guilt in Gohan's eyes that broke Bulma's heart. "I can almost pretend he's Goten's twin but Mom knew him when he was that age."

"I never should have told Son-kun that he attracts trouble," Bulma muttered. "If I hadn't planted that stupid, stupid idea in his head he would have come back."

"No," Gohan protested. "If I hadn't let my powers go to my head-"

"Stop it," Bulma said resolutely. "We don't gain anything from playing the blame game." She pasted a smile on her face and stepped toward the center of the room. "Okay! Goku you'll be staying here. Vegeta-chan, naturally you're welcome to stay as well."

"What did you just call me?" the younger Vegeta snarled and leapt at Bulma. His older counter-part flickered out of sight. He reappeared between his mate and the enraged boy. Casually he swatted the boy to the floor.

"Vegeta," Bulma breathed half grateful for the rescue half shocked at the violence toward his younger self.

The older Vegeta lifted the younger off the floor by his throat. "You kill anyone on this planet you answer to me," Vegeta told the boy coldly. "You harm my family and I won't leave enough of you to make a decent smear on the wall."

The boy glared back at Vegeta banefully. "You can't hurt me, I _am_ you."

Vegeta smirked. "We've dealt with time travelers before," he informed the boy. "My past is immutable; your future is not so secure."

A fearful look appeared in Vegeta-chan's eyes for a brief moment only to be buried behind the boy's mask of indifference. Vegeta dropped his youthful counterpart certain that the boy had taken his threat to heart.

"Well okay now," Bulma said uncomfortably. "Gohan, Goten, you'd best get home before Chichi starts worrying."

Gohan glanced at the clock and his eyes widened comically. "We're gonna be late for dinner!" he exclaimed as he scooped up his younger brother and dashed outside. "Kinto'un!" he shouted.

After the two brothers had left Bulma turned her attention to making arrangements for her two unexpected guests. "I hope there's enough food in the house for four Saiyans," she muttered. "And as soon as I've got them fed I'm dragging Vegeta-chan to the infirmary and getting him a full check-up. I know Vegeta, he never admits the whole extent of his injuries."

* * *

It was late when Vegeta finished working off his irritation at being blackmailed into training Kakarrot, of all people, so he was surprised when he came up to his room and found Bulma still awake.

She was standing out on the balcony, smoking. Vegeta joined her after a moment's consideration.

"Did you even bother with a room back then or did you just sleep in a regeneration tank?" Bulma demanded furiously. "I know you Saiyans get stronger by recovering from injuries but were you insane?" She punched Vegeta then collapsed against his chest. "His body's completely tapped out. Regen tanks speed healing but they use your body's own resources; he doesn't have any left!"

"You know what happened to him," Vegeta said quietly.

"Frieza," Bulma said, her voice was thick with hatred. "Yes I knew but seeing it, seeing you-him... Goddamnit, he's just a kid. If Frieza were still alive I'd kill him myself!"

Vegeta smirked at her reaction. He always found it oddly endearing when she got angry on his behalf. And this time it was almost as if she needed him to comfort her because of his younger self's condition. Vegeta wrapped one arm lazily around Bulma's waist. "It would have been amusing to watch you try."

"Bastard," Bulma replied with a faint smile as she leaned into him. After a few minutes she sighed. "They both look so small but they're closer to Gohan's age than Trunk's."

Vegeta shrugged. "Saiyans only have one major growth spurt. It minimizes the annoyance of adapting your fighting style to different body dimensions."

"I guess Goku did go from being a little squirt to all grown up all at once but then I didn't see him for three years. He was always like that, always off to find another adventure," Bulma said.

Her tone shifted back to concerned. "Vegeta-chan is going to have to heal the old fashion way unless you've got a senzu bean stashed somewhere. At this point the regen tank would only make things worse."

Vegeta grimaced. He remembered a few years when the regen tans hadn't worked so well. Frieza had finally stepped in and ordered an end to the fights between Vegeta and Frieza's officers. Needing that disgusting lizard's protection, having it spelled out that he needed it that blatantly had been one of a long line of humiliating experiences in Vegeta's life. Frieza had never missed an opportunity to rub it in.

Bulma's light touch brought Vegeta back to the here and now. "You okay?" she asked.

Vegeta nodded, he wrapped his arms around her and together they stood and watched the stars come out.


	2. Accidents Happen

**Choice to be Different**

**Chapter Two: Accidents Happen**

**Disclaimer:** Dragonball Z characters and situations belong to Akira Toriyama, I'm just taking them out for a non-profit spin.

The next day Vegeta had his first training session with Goku, Vegeta-chan and Goten as well as Trunks. Afterwards Bulma watched and shook her head as the five Saiyans decimated an ungodly amount of food.

"We're going to have to go grocery shopping again, I suppose," Bunny said.

"Are we gonna train some more?" the youthful Goku asked eagerly once the food was all gone..

Vegeta snorted. He'd started off training that morning with the GR set just short of being physically damaging for Goku to be in the room. His younger self had, naturally, grown up in a higher than Earth-normal gravity. The boy could have withstood more G's but his still healing injuries compensated for the different in the two full-blooded Saiyans. Vegeta knew very well that Trunks would have fled such a punishing training session within the first half-hour and had counted on getting rid of the brats equally soon. Goku and Vegeta-chan stuck it out until Bulma's mother called them to lunch and both boys were apparently ready and willing to come back for more.

"Hell no," Vegeta declared. "You think I'm going to waste a whole day training at a level you pitiful little brats can tolerate?"

Goku sighed, openly disappointed with Vegeta's decree. Vegeta-chan was already practiced at hiding most of his emotions but the slight slumping of his shoulders gave away the fact that he shared Goku's disappointment. Trunks and Goten traded an anticipatory grin: If training was over for the day then maybe they could entice their new playmates into some mischief.

The boys finished off the last of the food then Trunks, Goten and Goku headed outside. After a moment's hesitation Vegeta-chan hurried after them. When he caught up with the other three boys Goku was stretching to help relieve soreness from the morning's training session while Trunks and Goten schemed.

Goku's expression turned curious when Vegeta-chan joined him. "Why do you keep your tail wrapped around your waist?" he asked.

Vegeta-chan smirked evilly then, in a lightening fast move, lunged for the other boy's tail.

"Owiee!!" Goku wailed as Vegeta-chan gave his sensitive tail a painful yank. Goku's efforts at training his tail didn't hold up against another Saiyan's strength. He glared up at the other boy and demanded. "What'd ya do that for?"

"Well, you asked," Vegeta-chan countered smugly.

Goku's eye lit up in understanding. "Oh! You do it so people can't pull _your _tail! That's a good idea." And just like that the incident was forgotten and forgiven.

Trunks rolled his eyes at the other boy's naivety. He knew Vegeta could have just told Goku the reason but Trunks realized he would have done the same thing to Goten and Goten would have accepted any sort of flimsy justification just like Goku had. 'Dad and I are lucky they're so easy going,' Trunks though. 'Neither of us are exactly nice people."

While Goku worked out the mechanics of convincing his tail to stay wrapped around his waist and accustomed himself to his new center of gravity Vegeta-chan came up with a question of his own. "How did the old Vegeta determine our ki levels without a scouter?"

"Huh? What'd ya mean 'Geta?" Goku asked.

"Moron. Didn't you notice? He stopped just short of doing any real damage to us."

"Geeze, don't you know anything?" Trunks asked in a superior tone. "Of course Dad could sense your ki levels."

"Without a scouter?" Vegeta-chan asked with disbelief.

"Scouters are for babies," Trunks declared. "Real fighters don't need 'em."

Vegeta-chan scowled darkly at the smirking purple haired demi-Saiyan.

"Oh! I know how to do that!" Goku exclaimed.

Vegeta-chan turned his outraged stare on the other Saiyan. 'How dare that third-class idiot know something I don't!' he thought angrily.

"It's not hard," Goku said. "I bet you'll figure it out right away now that you know you can. I bet I could show you."

Vegeta-chan gritted his teeth. Then after a long pause he nodded.

"Okay! So this is what you do... Hey, I'm sensing a huge power," Goku exclaimed pointing toward Satan City.

Trunks and Goten concentrated for a moment. "That's Big Brother!" Goten exclaimed.

"He feels like my dad when he's training as a Super Saiyan," Trunks commented.

"Super Saiyan? Me?" Vegeta-chan mouthed in delight.

Goten looked worried. "Mommy got really upset when I went Super Saiyan."

"And your big brother is a goody-two-shoes," Trunks said. "He wouldn't have broken your mom's rules unless he had to. He must be in a really cool fight! Let's go see it!"

"Kinto'un!" Goku shouted eagerly as Trunks and Vegeta-chan took to the air.

"Trunks! Wait up!" Goten protested.

"Baby," Trunks said disparagingly.

Goten scowled. "That's not fair! My mommy won't let me pester Big Brother into teaching me and she can't fly! You've got your dad to teach you."

While Goten was complaining Kinto'un arrived. Goku jumped on the little cloud and scooped up his future self's son to end the argument.

Gohan had been happily anticipating his mother's reaction when he showed her his perfect scores on the Orange Star High placement exam when he heard an alarm go off. "What is with these people?" he asked himself. "Every time I come into town there's a crime happening!"

He shook his head ruefully. Then he powered up to Super Saiyan to disguise himself and took flight. Gohan was just outside of the bank when he felt four more ki's zeroing in on his location. "Trunks, do your parents know where you're at?" Gohan demanded as he confronted the quartet of chibis.

Vegeta-chan stared at the Super Saiyan with a mixture of awe and envy. He wished for a scouter so he could tell just how strong Gohan was but even without one, even without any practice at sensing ki, he could feel waves of power emanating from the golden-haired demi-Saiyan.

"Goku was teaching 'Geta to sense ki and we felt you power up," Trunks explained to Gohan. "Are you gonna fight someone cool like the Androids or Frieza or Cell? Huh? Huh?"

"Would you guys go home?" Gohan exclaimed.

"Big Brother we just wanted to help," Goten declared tearfully. Trunks snickered. He couldn't believe how much trouble they got out of due to Goten's ability to look completely innocent and sincere while claiming good intentions.

Predictably Gohan softened. "Aww Squirt, it's no big deal. I'm just going to stop some bank robbers."

"Humans?" Trunks' nose wrinkled up in disdain. "You went Super Saiyan to fight a bunch of dummies with guns? What a gyp."

"Look! I don't want anyone to recognize me," Gohan explained. "I'm going to be going to school here in a few weeks. If people knew I could fly and stuff they'd think I was weird."

"You're not weird Big Brother, you're cool!" Goten insisted loyally.

"Thanks Squirt," Gohan said. "But see? This isn't going to be anything interesting. Why don't you four go home and I won't say anything to Mom or Bulma?" Gohan glanced around. "Hey, where's Goku?"

Vegeta-chan pointed to the bank and Gohan groaned.

Gohan wasn't the only hero who'd responded to the bank's alarms. Inside a blue-eyed girl wearing a loose tee-shirt faced off against the leader of the gang. A number of his flunkies already littered the floor in groaning piles.

"You're good, girl. I'll give you that," the leader of the bank robbers said. "You took out half my guys after all but I'm gonna bet that my bullet can get across this room faster than you can."

Videl Satan froze. The bank robber was about ten feet away from her, she didn't have anything to throw at him and even Hercule Satan's daughter wasn't bullet-proof.

A grinning little boy wandered into the bank. "Mister, it's not nice to point guns at people," the boy stated.

"What are you gonna do about it?" the man sneered.

Videl saw visions of the boy falling in a spray of blood and leapt at the bank robber.

The gun went off and Videl tensed in anticipation of pain. Instead she heard the pinging sound of a ricochet and the strange boy was standing in front of her with his bo in hand. Less cheerful now the boy frowned at the bank robber. "I'm not gonna let you hurt anyone so you should just go home."

The bank robber snarled and aimed his gun at the boy but before he could fire the boy was across the room and punched the bank robber hard enough that the man's body dented the wall when it hit.

Videl took advantage of the general shock and finished off the rest of the bank robbers before anymore guns could be brought into play.

The boy watched Videl efficiently take down half a dozen men, each one twice her size, with appreciation. "Hey, you're pretty good. I bet you're as strong as my best friend Kuririn*! Wanna spar sometime? I'm Son Goku by the way."

Videl's brain leapt from shock that a kid would think he could spar with her to the memory of _this_ kid clobbering a huge thug with one blow and maybe knocking a bullet out fo the air - naw, that couldn't have really happened - back to outrage at the 'pretty good' comment. Pretty good? She was nearly as strong as her dad and he was the World Champion!

Before Videl could ask make up her mind as to how she ought to respond the Gold Fighter dashed in. He glanced around. "I guess I'm not needed," he declared then snatched Goku up and ran back outside.

Videl chased after them, but by the time she got outside both the Gold Fighter and the strange boy had disappeared without a trace.

"I'm going to find out who he is!" Videl declared.

_*Author's Note: Goku is thinking of Kuririn's power level at the 22__nd__ tournament._

In the end Gohan elected to escort the four boys back to Capsule Corp, just to be sure they actually got there.

"It's not fair," Trunks whined when Goku finished his story. "You got to fight! All we got to do was listen to him lecture." The purple haired demi-Saiyan glared at Gohan.

Goten looked torn between agreeing with his best friend and defending his big brother.

"Ahh, I didn't really do much," Goku said. That other fighter took care of most of the bad guys. She was pretty good. Well I think the fighter was a girl-"

Gohan blanched as he remembered some of Bulma and Oolong's stories of their early adventures with his father. "Please tell me you didn't check," he begged.

Goku rubbed his head as he remembered Bulma's typical reaction when he checked if someone where a boy or a girl.

Gohan looked mortified. "You did, didn't you?"

"Of course he didn't stupid," Vegeta-chan contributed. "If he'd checked he'd know for sure."

"Hey that's right," Goku exclaimed. "You're pretty smart."

"Thank you Dende," Gohan whispered under his breath. He'd seen the badge on the girl's shirt. In just a few weeks she was going to be one of his classmates. Somehow he didn't think having his father-turned child grope her would get them off on the right foot, even if Goku's intentions were completely innocent.

"We're home," Trunks exclaimed. "Come on Goten lets go find something fun to do." The look he gave Gohan clearly indicated his disgust with Gohan's failure to provide him with entertainment.

Gohan shook his head and sighed. "Try not to get in too much trouble okay?" he asked.

Vegeta stalked into the Gravity Room in the pre-dawn hours and turned up the gravity to a setting that would reduce most humans to paste then began a rigorous calisthenics regime. "Damn brats screwing up my schedule," he muttered. It had been two weeks since his son and Kakarrot's brat had cursed them with younger versions of both Kakarrot and Vegeta himself.

After a few hours Vegeta powered up to Super Saiyan and switched to doing katas.

The light over the door went on indicating someone was trying to enter. Vegeta snarled in irritation as the gravity cycled down to a 'safe' level. So he'd managed to injure himself in a few, a very few accidents in the Gravity Room. It was no reason for the woman to install all sorts of annoying safety features!

Vegeta crossed his arms and scowled at whoever dared interrupt his training. The door slid open to reveal his younger self.

Vegeta-chan took in the older Saiyan's gold hair, teal eyes and palpable air of power. "How do I learn to do that?" he asked.

"Train, get stronger," Vegeta replied shortly.

"Well, I'm here," Vegeta-chan said.

"Hi! You guys are already started?" Goku said through a mouthful of food. "I was just going to have a pre-breakfast snack but I'm ready."

"Kakarrot! NO FOOD IN THE GRAVITY ROOM!" Vegeta snapped. "You have the memory of a goldfish!"

Goku quickly downed his last handful of food then smiled innocently. "I'm ready," he repeated.

Vegeta sighed in defeat. He reset the GR to a level that the boys would find challenging but not crippling then turned and smirked at them. "Both of you try and make me give ground," he ordered.

Goku traded a look with Vegeta-chan then both boys attacked together. Vegeta caught his younger counterpart's fist and forced the boy to his knees while he kicked Goku across the room. Then he tossed Vegeta-chan after the other boy.

Goku bounced off the far wall. He rolled to the side to avoid the Vegeta-chan-shaped-projectile. While he waited for Vegeta-chan to recover he checked that his sensitive tail was wound securely around his waist. He'd quickly learned that neither of his sparring partners would think twice about yanking on his tail if he let them. It was a cheap shot and everyone else who knew about the tail thing only did it as a last resort, but not them.

When Goku first realized that both Vegetas would target his tail any time it was vulnerable he'd sulked about it until the older sarcastically replied. "Oh yes Kakarrot, by all means. It's not fair for your opponents to take advantage of the openings you leave in your defenses." After that Goku made a point of protecting his tail from attacks.

Once Vegeta-chan was on his feet again they launched a second attack. This time Vegeta-chan pulled back at the last second in hopes of seeing an opening in Vegeta's defenses once he committed himself to blocking Goku's attack.

Vegeta gave the boy a superior look. He was more than capable of handling one attacker without leaving himself open.

Goku evaded several punches before Vegeta sent him flying. Vegeta-chan fired a ki blast as soon as Goku was out of his line of fire. Vegeta deflected the blast then knocked aside Vegeta-chan's follow up attack. "Predictable," he said.

Vegeta-chan bared his teeth at his older counterpart and bit back a complaint about Vegeta having insider information on their fighting style.

Gradually the pace of the spar picked up. After two hours Trunks woke up and joined them. With all three boys throwing ki blasts and attacking Vegeta had to work a little to block them.

"Yeah! We're going to get you Dad!" Trunks exclaimed excitedly.

Vegeta's eyes widened as Trunks' power spiked to just below the Super Saiyan threshold.

Vegeta-chan saw the surprise on his counterpart's face and tried to take advantage of it. Vegeta reacted on instinct and slammed the boy to the floor. The sound of bones breaking silenced the room. Goku winced in sympathy. Trunks stared at his father in horror. Vegeta flinched in anticipation of a screaming child and a furious mate.

Vegeta-chan's ragged, pained breathing was the only sound in the room for several seconds then the boy collected himself. As the boy got back to his feet Vegeta remembered who the child was. "We're done for the day," he said. "Have the woman look at you. Your collar bone is broken."

"I'll go find Bulma," Goku announced then rushed off.

"Dad, help him," Trunks demanded.

"There's nothing wrong with his feet," Vegeta stated coldly.

Trunks glared angrily at his father and offered Vegeta-chan a supporting hand. The boy snarled at Trunks and drew back defensively. Trunks looked back to his father and caught a faint 'I told you so,' in the older man's eyes.

"The med-lab is this way," Trunks said and led Vegeta-chan out of the GR.

Vegeta sealed the door behind them and reset the gravity to a level that was punishing even for him.

Twenty minutes later Bulma overrode the safeties and stormed in. "Damnit Vegeta! You broke his collar bone!"

Vegta easily compensated for the rapid change in gravity. "I didn't hear him complaining."

"You _broke _his collar bone!" Bulma repeated. "I wanted you to train them not abuse them!"

"He's not Trunks," Vegeta said. "He expects his sparring partners to fight back."

"His power level isn't anywhere near Trunks'," Bulma replied. "You have to be more careful!"

Vegeta scowled. "Ask the brat if he thought I should have stopped the spar when he got injured. He doesn't fight in tournaments with ring-outs or the option of surrender."

"I know!" Bulma snapped. "I know what your life was like. I know what you've done. But I can't stand the idea that you're perpetuating the abuse. Just because you got used to being hurt doesn't make it okay!"

After a long silence Vegeta said "Trunks was on the verge of becoming a Super Saiyan. The brat tried to take advantage of my surprise. I let my guard slip then reacted automatically."

The tension drained out of Bulma. She touched Vegeta's shoulder briefly to let him know she wasn't upset with him anymore.. "I'll let you get back to your training," she said. "But don't forget dinner okay?"

Son Gohan had only been attending Orange Star High for a few days but Videl knew he was hiding something and she was going to find out what it was. 'I don't feel a bit guilty about sneaking a look at his school records to get his home number.' she told herself. 'And that boy, Son Goku, did ask me to spar with him. It's not like I'm doing anything wrong. I just don't want Erasa to know because she'd get all sorts of wrong ideas.'

As soon as she was outside of the school she called the number.

"Moshi moshi," an older woman answered.

"Hi," Videl said uncertainly. "I um... well... Goku said I should come spar with him sometime..."

"That won't be possible," Chichi said tiredly. "My husband passed away seven years ago."

"Husband? No, um I met him just the other day. He stopped a bunch of robbers. He said his name was Son Goku, a little boy with spikey, black hair-"

"You mean Goten," Chichi said.

"-and I know this is going to sound crazy but he had a tail."

The phone fell out of Chichi's suddenly nerveless fingers.

"Hello?" Videl called. "Son-san? Are you alright? Hello?"

"Goku," Chichi said. "Just the other day? Kinto'un!!" she shouted as she ran out of the house. When the little cloud didn't come at her call she jumped in the family pick-up . "Bulma will know how to find him," she said to herself as she sped off.

Many hours later Chichi dashed into Bulma's lab. "You have to find him!" she exclaimed as she grabbed Bulma. "She saw Goku! He had a tail! I had Goten's tail removed at birth but he had a tail! It was Goku you have to find him!"

"Chichi-" Bulma sighed. She tried to think of a gentle way to explain the situation to the other woman.

Vegeta-chan wandered into the room with one arm in a sling and an irritable look on his face. "They took off without me," he complained.

"Good for them," Bulma replied tartly. "I told you to stay in bed and let your collar bone heal."

Chichi stared at the child Vegeta in confusion.

Bulma grimaced. "Trunks and Goten got the Dragon Balls and wished for younger versions of their fathers," she said. "We though it would be best not to tell you. As soon as the Dragon Balls regenerate we'll have to send them back to their own time."

Chichi sat down, hard. "Where is he?"

"I told you: They took off without me," Vegeta-chan replied crossly. "Goku wanted to find someone call Kuririn and the other two went with him."


	3. Truth Comes Out

**Choice to be Different**

**Chapter Three: The Truth Comes Out**

**Disclaimer:** Dragonball Z characters and situations belong to Akira Toriyama, I'm just taking them out for a non-profit spin.

* * *

"Son-san? Son-san?" Videl called with increasing worry and guilt. The other end of the line had been ominously silent ever since the loud crash several minutes earlier.

"Oh why did I ever call?" Videl exclaimed then ran toward where she, Sharpener and Erasa normally ate lunch. She knew Erasa would have invited Gohan to join them.

Videl found Erasa and Sharpener staring at a sheepish-looking Gohan. He scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously. "I guess I was really hungry," he said.

Videl skidded to a stop in front of Gohan. "Gohan, I, well, there was a little boy at the bank robbery the other day. He said his name was Son Goku and he invited me to spar with him sometime, and well I was curious after I met you," Videl found she couldn't meet Gohan's eyes. She stared at the ground and her confession tumbled out in a rush of words. "I looked up your phone number in your records. I must have been talking to your mom. I think she fainted when I told her about meeting Goku. I'm sorry! I'll fly you home to check on her and make excuses with the teachers."

Videl squirmed nervously as she waited for Gohan's reaction. After a few seconds she gathered her courage and looked up to see that Gohan had disappeared.

"He took off running when you said 'fainted'," Erasa volunteered helpfully. She pointed n the direction where Gohan had vanished.

"Thanks," Videl called as she sprinted after him. Several blocks later Videl realized Gohan had truly disappeared. "There is no way he can get there as fast as I can in my jet copter. I'd better go too," Videl decided and tossed her copter capsule on the ground.

Over an hour later Videl finally spotted the isolated house that had to be the Son residence. "How can Gohan possibly make a commute like that every morning?" Videl wondered as she landed her jet-copter.

To her immense shock Gohan met her at the door. For a long moment the two teens just stared at one another in disbelief.

"How'd you get here before me?" Videl demanded as soon as she recovered her tongue.

"Um, Saiyaman flew me here. He saw me running and asked what was wrong. When I told him he volunteered to take me home," Gohan improvised. "We found the phone off the hook and the truck gone. I figured Mom must have taken of as soon as you told her about the robbery. My little brother's a really good fighter, but he's only seven. Mom wouldn't like him fighting criminals. Saiyaman went to check the roads. I was going to check around the house and make sure Mom wasn't here."

Videl wanted to interrogate Gohan about his connection to Saiyaman but with his mom missing due to her earlier snooping she just couldn't bring herself to do it. "What do you think happened."

"I think Mom heard about someone matching my little brother's description getting involved in something dangerous. Then she forgot everything else in her hurry to rush off to the rescue... and to lecture him about not worrying her." Gohan replied honestly. To himself he added that Goten and Goku were both with Trunks and if anyone could lie their way out of this mess it was Trunks.

"Your little brother was really unbelievable," Videl commented.

Gohan smiled a proud, wistful smile. "He really takes after my dad," he said.

"Your dad?" Videl asked.

Gohan walked inside and handed her a picture of Goku and Chichi at the twenty-third Tenka'ichi Budokai, right before Chichi had dragged Goku off to get married.

Videl's eyes popped open. "Your dad was the twenty-third World's Champion?"

Videl felt acutely uncomfortable. At the twenty-forth Tenka'ichi, the one her father had won, the announcer's disappointment at the lack of contestants from the previous tournaments' top contenders had been obvious. That had been what started Hercule's talk about how the previous champions had been frauds who used tricks to win; that they were afraid to face a real fighter like Hercule Satan. It was apparent from Gohan's manner that, in spite of the evidence of the Cell Games, he believed his father's tricks were real. Still Videl knew she would have had a hard time believing that _her _father would lie about something like that so it was likely Gohan felt the same about his father.

And yet... Videl wasn't sure exactly what had happened at the bank but Gohan's little brother certainly had speed and strength to spare, maybe there was something to the fighting styles used in the earlier tournaments after all. "So your little brother takes after your dad but you don't practice Martial Arts?" Videl questioned. She tried to keep her tone light. "Not at all? I mean you insisted that catch in PE was just a fluke."

"I've always wanted to be a scholar," Gohan said with a shrug.

"You must have some Martial Arts background," Videl argued. "I mean even if I'd been a totally girly-girl I still would have known the basics just from growing up around a fighter."

Gohan grimaced. "I did, when I was a kid, but it's been seven years since I practiced Martial Arts."

"_My husband passed away seven years ago." _Videl remembered Chichi's words and let the subject drop guiltily.

"Why don't you woods north of the house," Gohan suggested. "I'll start on the south side."

He gave Videl three minutes to get out of sight then touched the studs on the watch Bulma had given him and transformed into his Saiyaman costume. He spotted his mother's pick-up on the road to Capsule Corp so he turned around and flew home. Then he went to find Videl so that Saiyaman could tell her it was okay to call off the search.

* * *

As soon as Kinto'un was over the Turtle Hermit's island Goku leapt off the flying cloud. "Master Roshi! Kuririn!" He shouted and brought the two of them, plus 18 and Marron running.

Goku's eyes lit on Master Roshi and he broke into a radiant grin. "You're really okay! Trunks-kun explained about time travel and how it's been ages since you came back after Piccolo killed you but it was just a little bit ago for me and I haven't even gotten to see you guys yet because I was going to train with Kami, only Trunks-kun and Goten-kun wished me and 'Geta here and where's Kuririn? He's alive too right?"

"Goku?" Kuririn asked uncertainly. The boy turned to look at him curiously and Kuririn all but tackled him in his eagerness to hug his old friend. "Goku! You're back! You're a kid again, but you' back!" he exclaimed.

"Who are you?" Goku asked.

"I'm Kuririn you dummy!" the older man exclaimed affectionately.

Goku stared at him skeptically. "Kuririn's bald."

"I am not bald! I told you I just shaved my head, or I used to anyway. I let it grow after I settled down and got married," Kuririn explained.

Goku peered closely at his face then grinned and returned Kuririn's enthusiastic greeting.

Meanwhile Trunks and Goten had landed behind Goku. "You two were the ones who called on the Dragon," Roshi said while Kuririn introduced Goku to his wife and daughter. "How much trouble are you in anyway?"

Trunks shrugged. A disgruntled look crossed his face. " 'Geta was hurt when he got here, Mom's been really distracted ever since she patched him up. And Dad, well if you annoy him he'll make your life hell, but he doesn't always care about the stuff other parents get worked up over."

"I imagine," Roshi replied drily.

"Anyway, I don't know if he's mad or not. Mom blackmailed him into training 'Geta and Goku but he doesn't seem to mind it too much." Trunks frowned. "This whole wish sucks," he declared. "I wanted a dad who'd play with us but even though they're kids 'Geta and Goku just train all the time!"

"If I understood Goku correctly he's already fought in the Tenka'ichi Budokai twice, as well as having faced several quite serious enemies. It's only natural that he's dedicated to improving his skills." Roshi said

"We thought it would be better if they were a little older than us," Goten sighed.

"Like big brothers," Trunks supplied. "But ths is NO FUN AT ALL!" he exclaimed. "They don't want to play with Goten and me and Dad pays more attention to them than he does to me!"

Everyone went silent at Trunks' outburst. Goku looked guilty. "Sorry Trunks-kun. But Kami said Piccolo would be at the tournament and I barely beat him last time. He killed Kuririn and Master Roshi and Chaozu, I have to be better the next time we fight."

Goten patted his chibi father on the shoulder. "It's not your fault. We brought you here."

"It's odd how your human blood effects your power levels," Roshi said to change the subject. "The two of you and Gohan achieve new power levels much younger and with less effort than your fathers but despite that they are the born warriors. Gohan and Trunks' older counterpart fought because they had to, for you two it's little more than a game you play with each other but Goku was always drawn to situations where his powers would be tested and even during peace time Vegeta remains obsessed with improving his skills."

"Yeah, we care about things besides fighting," Trunks snapped. "Stupid Saiyans!"

For a moment everyone just stared as Trunks flew off.

"Kinto'un!" Goten shouted.

"I better come too. I think I made him mad," Goku said.

Goten shook his head. "Trunks-kun is _my_ best friend," he said.

Goku sighed and stepped back. Goten leapt on the flying cloud and took off after Trunks. He caught up to the lavender-haired demi-Saiyan at one of their favorite hiding places. "Trunks-kun?" Goten asked quietly.

"Leave me alone," Trunks sulked.

"What's wrong?" Goten asked as he sat down beside his friend.

For several minutes Trunks ignored the younger boy. Then, suddenly, he said "You saw 'Geta today. Dad broke his shoulder like it was nothing, he didn't even care!"

Goten gave Trunks a confused look. Vegeta never seemed to care about anything except when he was mad about something in Goten's experience. Of course most of his interaction with Vegeta consisted of the man ignoring him or Goten and Trunks fleeing from him while he shouted threats after they did something to upset him. Still Vegeta had never actually hurt them. "I bet it wasn't on purpose," Goten said. "He's used to you and me, 'Geta and Goku are a lot more-" Goten hesitated as he searched for the right word, "breakable."

"If it was an accident he would have felt bad afterwards," Trunks argued. "He didn't even help 'Geta to the infirmary. You saw when we first brought them to CC; Dad acts like 'Geta's a bad person. But 'Geta's him! And Mom-Mom's still acting like 'Geta's sick or something and sometimes she looks at Dad the same way. I wish we'd never made that stupid wish!"

Goten sat beside Trunks being silently sympathetic while he mulled over everything Trunks had said. He still wasn't exactly sure what Trunks was upset about and he didn't know if there was something he could do to make it better.

Their wish hadn't turned out the way they wanted it to. Goten liked Goku well enough but he just couldn't think of the other boy as really being his dad. Goku was just another kid who tagged along with him and Trunks. Except Goku didn't really tag along. He tended to go off and do his own thing and they all tagged along with him.

Both Goku and 'Geta trained pretty much all the time. They weren't really strong enough to play sparring and they didn't 'get' the other games Goten and Trunks played. Honestly they weren't much fun but Goten didn't think Trunks would be _this_ upset over something like that.

Vegeta was helping all of them train and was actually spending more time with them than ever before but it occurred to Goten that even though Vegeta was allowing them to interrupt his training more he was teaching all four of them where he'd only trained Trunks before. Goten could see how Trunks might be upset at having to share his father, after all 'Geta didn't seem any more parental than Goku. Playing with them, trying to anyway, just wasn't the same as being with a parent. "Maybe I could get Goku and 'Geta to skip training once and awhile so Trunks could have his dad to himself," Goten thought.

Then there was the other part. Trunks said Vegeta treated 'Geta like he was bad. Goten frowned in confusion. Vegeta didn't treat 'Geta like he treated them when they were in trouble, so how was he treating 'Geta like he was bad? Sure he acted like he didn't like 'Geta, which was weird since they were the same person, sort of. Of course Vegeta didn't act like he liked anyone and Goten had always assumed that he just didn't know how to act nice so it probably wasn't a big deal.

Goten frowned a little, Trunks said Bulma still acted like 'Geta was hurt. Goten had heard enough stories about before he'd been born to knew that Gohan had been hurt so badly that he almost died a couple of times and almost all the other grown-ups he knew had actually died at least once. But before 'Geta arrived the worst injuries Goten had ever seen had been when he and Trunks got carried away and Aunt Bulma or his mom fixed those boo-boos up with band-aids, kisses and scolding. ' 'Geta coughing up blood had been scary and what if he wasn't alright? But Uncle Vegeta wouldn't let him train if he weren't, would he?'

"Trunks-kun, we could ask your mom if 'Geta's okay," Goten suggested.

Trunks snorted at his friend's naivety. "She won't tell us anything. She'll just say we shouldn't worry. Adults never tell us the whole story."

"We could ask Gohan to ask your mom for us," Goten said.

"Yeah! We could eves drop on them. Gohan's practically a grown-up, Mom won't lie to him," Trunks exclaimed.

Goten blinked in confusion, he'd thought they would just ask Gohan to tell them what Bulma said. Then he shrugged, Trunks' plan sounded like more fun. They could pretend to be spies like on TV.

Goten's stomach growled and Trunks' echoed the complaint. "Geeze it's almost snack-time," Trunks commented. "Come on Chibi, we better get home. I'll fly you. Goku might need Kinto'un, we did leave him on an island."

Goten nodded enthusiastically. He held up his hands so that Trunks could grab them.

"You really ought to get Gohan to teach you to fly," Trunks commented. "This is getting old and you're way stronger than 'Geta and _he_ can fly."

"Um-hmm!" Goten agreed cheerfully.

Goten was surprised to see his mom's pick-up parked at Capsule Corp, usually it was Bulma who came up to visit Chichi. "Hi Mommy!" he exclaimed as he ran inside.

"Goten? Where is my Goku!" Chichi demanded.

Goten's mouth dropped open. He thought they weren't supposed to tell his mom about Goku. Big Brother said it would make her sad.

"Trunks?" Bulma asked.

Trunks shrugged. "We left him at Roshi's."

Chichi started for the door.

"Wait a minute," Bulma called and picked up the phone.

"Moshi, moshi," Marron giggled happily as she answered the phone. Seconds later 18 retrieved the phone from her daughter. "Who is this? And what do you want?" she demanded coldly.

"Could you put Goku on?" Bulma asked.

"No. He left sixteen minutes ago," 18 replied.

"Did he say where he was going?" Bulma asked.

"No."

Chichi snatched the phone out of Bulma's hand. "Which way did he go! Go find him!" she shouted.

On the other end of the line 18 handed the phone over to Roshi. "You deal with her," she said then picked up Marron and walked off.

"Where is my husband!" Chichi demanded.

"You do know he's not the Goku from our time?" Roshi asked.

"I don't care! Where is he? How could all of you hide it from me when he came back! Why didn't he come see me!!"

"Chichi, he's three years younger than he was when you married him," Roshi reminded her. "He didn't remember you until you showed up at the twenty-third Tenka'ichi Budokai."

Chichi burst into tears.

"Now, now," Bulma said as she patted the other woman's shoulder. "I'm sure he'll be back here by dinner, first thing in the morning at the latest. He and Vegeta-chan have been training with my Vegeta. You know Goku would never miss a chance to fight against someone stronger than he was."

"Vegeta is not stronger than my Goku!" Chichi snapped.

Bulma rolled her eyes. "He's not 'your' Goku anymore than Vegeta-chan is 'my' Vegeta."

Chichi brushed off Bulma off angrily. "I'm going to find Goku right now! I thought you were Goku's friend but you don't care at all!"

Vegeta walked in and glared at Chichi. "Would you quit your screeching Harpy? Kakarrot is a fifteen year old Saiyan. He is more than capable of taking care of himself. If it were anyone other than that brain-damaged clown I would suggest you worry about the planet but seeing as it is Kakarrot he probably wandered off in search of something to rescue."

Chichi sighed and admitted Vegeta was right.

* * *

Three days later when Goku still hadn't returned Gohan went looking for him. Gohan found Goku preparing for a fight.

"Hey Gohan. Did you know there were bandits in this area?" Goku asked when Gohan flew down to his camp sight. "They've been causing trouble for the local villagers."

"Do you need my help?" Gohan asked.

"Naw, they're just bullies," Goku said.

"So, will you be heading back to Capsule Corps after you take care of them?" Gohan asked.

"Probably not," Goku replied. "I was imposing."

"Bulma would never feel that way. You're one of her oldest friends," Gohan protested.

"Not Bulma, Trunks," Goku said. "I didn't think about it but I was taking away all his time with his father."

"Do you want to come home with me then?" Gohan asked.

"But I thought you said seeing me would make Chichi sad," Goku said.

Gohan scratched his head nervously. "Well, it turns out we were wrong about that. Mom found out about the wish and she's really mad that we hid you from her."

"Oh," Goku said. "I guess I better take care of these guys and go home."

Gohan smiled in relief. Then he decided to tag along while Goku dealt with his bandits. They probably weren't anything to worry about but over the years Goku had begun attracting a much more powerful class of adversaries and the youthful Saiyan still had a lot of catching up to do before he'd be ready to face any of them.


	4. First Impressions Revised

**Choice to be Different**

**Chapter Four: First Impressions Revised**

**Disclaimer:** Dragonball Z characters and situations belong to Akira Toriyama, I'm just taking them out for a non-profit spin.

* * *

Vegeta-chan sat quietly in his room. His collar-bone was all but healed but Bulma still wanted him excluded from any training and his older counterpart was more than happy to enforce her edicts.

Goku and Goten were both gone and Trunks was angry with him for some reason. Vegeta-chan didn't know what to do with himself. After Vegeta-sai's destruction he had learned to avoid causing trouble. Frieza got too much enjoyment out of _punishing_ his infractions. For Vegeta there was a certain thrill to getting in fights with Doodoria, Kiwi or Zarbon. Even though he inevitably lost he could make them mad, he could usually get in one or two good blows before they beat him unconscious and sometimes he lived for the memories of leaving bruises on them. Nappa warned him he'd probably die for it if he ever succeeded in his goal of breaking Zarbon's nose but Vegeta couldn't bring himself to care. The thought of bringing down that vain asshole a peg or three was too tempting.

But there was no thrill in getting into it with Frieza. Their power differential was just too great. Vegeta couldn't make Frieza angry, his efforts to fight back only amused the tyrant. It wasn't a fight, it was him getting beaten into the ground while Frieza laughed.

Frieza had never radiated the sort of tangible power that Vegeta's older counterpart did when he went Super Saiyan. There was a promise in that, a promise that a time would come when Vegeta wouldn't have to bow to _anyone._ But in the meantime that sort of power made Vegeta very wary of crossing the older man and he didn't understand the rules here.

He was constantly being told to 'go amuse himself' and that was a trap if he'd ever heard one. Frieza occasionally got bored and sent him out with insufficient instructions so that he could punish Vegeta later for screwing up. Even if Bulma and his older self were sincere, and he did feel an inexplicable urge to trust his counterpart's mate even if she did insist upon mangling his name, he just didn't know what he was supposed to do.

Vegeta scowled at the reminder of how his name was constantly mangled by everyone on the planet. Why couldn't they just call the other Vegeta 'old' instead of calling him 'little'? "Vegeta-ojiisan," Vegeta tried it out and decided it fitted the other Vegeta better than "Vegeta-chan" fitted him. Vegeta snorted, he knew why that wouldn't happen: The older Vegeta was stronger so he got his way. Although the other Vegeta did seem to let Bulma order him around to a degree. Vegeta smirked Radditz was the same way about his little camp follower. The girl had a bit of a Saiyan look to her, she was proud and wild despite her position, Radditz was a complete sap about her.

Vegeta sighed, even if Bulma and his counter-part weren't trying to trap him by giving him such imprecise instructions he still couldn't think of anything he wanted to do. He hated to admit it but he missed having Goku around. The bizarrely cheerful Saiyan boy was a moron but he shared Vegeta's incomprehension of Trunks and Goten's games. He also seemed to understand Earth's rules well enough to go do his own thing without concern about bring Vegeta-ojiisan's wrath down on them.

Of course Goku's complete lack of fear when it came to Vegeta-ojiisan only went to show that the other boy was a moron. When confronted with someone so powerful that they could squish you like a bug the only sane response was to fear them. Goku acted like he trusted Vegeta-ojiisan not to hurt them. Vegeta had to admit that his counterpart's training sessions were honest-to-god training sessions and not thinly disguised excuses for lording his power over them, but Vegeta couldn't bring himself to trust the good intentions of anyone so much stronger than he was.

Still, even if Goku was a moron Vegeta still missed having the other boy around.

* * *

"Hey Gohan!" Goku waved cheerfully as he walked over to the spot where Gohan had become accustomed to eating lunch with Videl, Erasa and Sharpener.

"Goku, what are you doing here?" Gohan asked.

"Well I just remembered that girl from the bank robbery. I said I was going to spar with her sometime but I forgot to set anything up. Then I remembered that she went to the same school you did. So I thought you might know her."

Gohan groaned.

Goku noticed Videl. "Oh, hi! I guess you do know Gohan. Chichi mentioned that you called so I guess you do want to spar?"

Sharpener stood up so that he could tower over the small Saiyan. "Look kid, Videl's father is Mr. Satan, the World's Champion. She doesn't waste her time sparring with nobodies."

"You mean Videl won't spar with _you_ after she accidently broke your nose when you _accidently _grabbed her boob." Erasa remarked as she hauled Sharpener back into his place. She grinned at Goku. "You're a cutie, just like your big brother Gohan huh?"

"But Gohan's not..." Goku started to explain.

Gohan grabbed him and clamped a hand over the younger boy's mouth. "...not cute right little brother?" Gohan laughed. He whispered to Goku, "You can't tell them my dad's younger than I am!"

Goku shrugged agreeably and Gohan let him go. He smiled at Videl. "Your dad's the World's Champion? Neat. I was only runner up in the last two tournaments... well the last two I was in."

Gohan just knew Goku was going to mention time travel or something even worse so he interrupted again. "Jr. Tournaments, nothing to do with the Budokai."

Goku scowled at his future son. "It's not nice to lie," he said quietly.

"But sometimes it's necessary," Gohan whispered back. "Or should I tell Mom who raided the fridge last night?"

Goku gulped. Chichi was scary, especially since she'd gotten over crying and yelling at him for things he hadn't done yet. Once that was out of her system she decided to treat him like another one of her sons. She was even trying to make him study!!

Videl remembered this kid effortlessly slamming a hulking criminal across a room. "Runner-up huh? That must have been some tournament."

Goku grinned at her. "Thanks."

"Gohan tells me your dad was into Martial Arts too," Videl said. "Wanna show me what you've got?" She dropped into a fighting stance then her eyes widened as she remembered that Gohan had also said his little brother's name was Goten. Goku was his father's name, his dead father's name. She glanced over at Gohan worriedly. 'Was it healthy that Goten pretended to be his father?' she wondered. 'And Gohan stopped practicing Martial Arts all together after his father died. It really hit the family hard. It probably didn't help that my dad revealed the truth about the tricks Son Goku's style depended on at the same time. It's a wonder Gohan will even talk to me.'

While Videl's thoughts wandered Goku had also settled into a fighting stance. He waited for Videl to make the first move.

Gohan groaned in dismay as all hope of a normal High School experience went up in smoke.

Videl lightly tested Goku's defenses. He frowned. "Come on. I know you can hit harder than that! I saw you fight at the bank."

Videl glanced at Gohan.

He looked depressed but nodded.

Videl shrugged then really threw a punch. Goku evaded it and grinned. "That's more like it," he laughed.

As the spar progressed Erasa and Sharpener shared in jaw-dropping amazement as shy, nerdy Gohan's kid brother held his ground against Hercule Satan's daughter Videl. Gohan watched in puzzlement. He didn't really know how good of a fighter his father had been at fifteen but he would have sworn that Goku was deliberately leaving openings in his defenses. After a few more minutes Gohan realized that what Goku was doing: He was testing Videl to see if she'd spot the openings he gave her.

Goku went on the offensive for a short while then stepped back and bowed. Videl reciprocated.

"You're really good considering you've only had basic training," Goku told Videl warmly. "But you should find someone to teach you if you want to keep getting better. I could introduce you to Master Roshi, he probably wouldn't even make you find him a girl seeing as you're one yourself. Or maybe your dad would train you, you said he was the World's Champion."

Videl blinked at the boy owlishly. "Er, my dad doesn't want to train me. He's so much stronger he's afraid he'd hurt me."

Goku nodded seriously. "Yeah accidents sometimes happen when you're training. That's how 'Geta got hurt. Your dad would probably feel really bad if he hurt you. You should find someone else to teach you. If you don't like Master Roshi, lots of girls don't, maybe Kuririn would teach you. I think he's a master now."

"I'll think about it," Videl said.

"I better get my little bro on a bus back home before someone notices he's missing," Gohan said. Once they'd gotten off school grounds Gohan asked, "What was that about?"

"Well, I just think it's kind of sad," Goku said. "Your friend's a natural and she tries really hard but no one helps her. Even with the basics I think she learned by watching, she does little things wrong that a sensei would have fixed."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Gohan said with a serious look. "I've been trying to help her fight crime, but someone should teach her."

* * *

Vegeta-chan quickly finished his lunch. Then he excused himself and headed towards his room. He knew his counterpart was done allowing him or Trunks to train with him for the day. Before he could finish his retreat Vegeta said, "There will be a full moon tonight. Make sure you don't transform.

Vegeta-chan nodded and waited to see if there were any further orders.

"A full moon?" Bulma said nervously. "We better remind Goku as well."

"I could tell him." Vegeta-chan surprised himself by volunteering.

Bulma smiled at him. "That's a great idea!" She turned to her husband and teased. "Why can't you do thoughtful things like that?"

"Why would I want to?" Vegeta asked.

Bulma stuck out her tongue at him.

Trunks groaned and rolled his eyes. "It's going to be one of_ those_ fights," he said with disgust. "I'm going to visit Goten. There's no one running around doing perverted stuff at his place."

"Have a good time sweetie," Bulma said never taking her eyes off Vegeta.

"Don't come back too soon," Vegeta added. He watched Bulma with blatant desire in his eyes.

Vegeta-chan found himself blushing.

"Come on," Trunks said as he dragged the older boy of the room. As a parting shot at his parents he added. "I don't know how it is with _normal _people but when _they_ start baiting each other about stupid stuff it means they're going do embarrassing, potentially mentally scarring stuff soon. Gross huh?"

* * *

As Trunks and Vegeta-chan approached Mt. Pauz they sensed Goku and Goten's energy several miles form the Son's home and changed course. They found the other two boys taking turns diving into a hidden lake at the base of a crevasse in the mountains. Several fish, bigger than either of the boys, lay on the bank.

Trunks was surprised at how happy, really happy, not just his normal happy-go-lucky, Goten looked.

Goku popped up out of the water. "Hey 'Geta! Hey Trunks!" he called.

"There's going to be a full moon tonight," Vegeta-chan said.

Goku nodded seriously. "We'll be careful not to look," he said as he pulled his clothes back on.

"What's the big deal about the full moon?" Trunks demanded.

Goku looked at the other boy with big eyes. "You mean you don't know?" he asked. "If you look at the full moon a terrible monster comes."

Vegeta-chan snorted. "They don't have tails moron. Nothing happens if they look at the moon."

"What do our tails have to do with the monster?" Goku asked with a puzzled expression.

Vegeta-chan rolled his eyes. "If a Saiyan loses his tail he can't transform."

"But me and big brother and Trunks and Uncle Vegeta transforms into Super Saiyans and we don't have tails," Goten objected.

"Not _that_ transformation," Vegeta-chan said. "When a Saiyan with a tail looks at a full moon they transform into a giant ape."

"We... we are the monster?" Goku asked in a small, sickly voice.

"Of course," Vegeta-chan said.

"B-but, it-it squished Grandpa," Goku protested. "It _can't_ have been me."

Vegeta-chan looked uncomfortable at the open misery in Goku's expression. "Look, if you don't know how to control it you're not responsible for the stuff it does," he said shortly. "Just don't look at the moon."

"I know not to look! Grandpa told me but I still did... and with Bulma, Yamcha, Puar and Oolong the first time my tail disappeared... and the Tournament, all those people! I might've squished them like I squished Grandpa!" There was a look of dawning horror n Goku's face. "You gotta cut my tail off again before the moon comes up!" he exclaimed.

"Or you could ask the old Vegeta to teach you to stay in control if you do transform," Vegeta-chan said. "Unless you actually _want_ to mutilate yourself."

Goku looked confused and uncertain. Vegeta-chan gave an impatient huff then grabbed Goku's arm and flew back toward Capsule Corps. Trunks and Goten watched them vanish in the distance. Trunks shook his head at Goku's awkward, unpracticed attempts to fly for himself. Inevitably Goku's efforts got screwed up by 'Geta hauling him along like a rag doll.

Trunks stole a side-long look at Goten. "You haven't been over much lately," he commented warily.

"You were mad about sharing your dad," Goten said. " 'Sides Mommy doesn't like Uncle Vegeta training Daddy."

Trunks winced. He imagined it was because his father had hurt 'Geta.

"When'd you start calling Goku 'Daddy'?" Trunks asked. "I thought you and Gohan decided it was too weird with him being younger than Gohan and everything?"

Goten shrugged.

The two boys sat in silence for a time. They watched the fish make ripples in the lake. Then Goten said. "Big Brother never talks about our daddy much. I think he feels bad 'cause he knew him an' I don't. But the first time Big Brother took me here he said Daddy showed him this place when he was little."

"So you brought Goku here?" Trunks asked.

Goten smiled brilliantly. "Hn-huh. Daddy showed it to me. I didn't tell him Big Brother already took me here."

* * *

"You look like you're having a good day sweetie," Bulma's mother remarked.

Bulma grinned conspiratorially. "I just spotted Vegeta-chan hauling Goku back here," She laughed. "It's about time, he's been sulking in her room ever since Goku left."

"I don't know that Vegeta-chan has been _sulking_," Bunny corrected gently. "He just doesn't seem to know what to do with himself without Goku-chan around."

Bulma sighed. "You know when I first saw the two of them I just assumed that they'd fall into the same patterns as Trunks and Goten. Goku and Goten are so much alike."

Bunny looked puzzled. "But Goku has always been so much more independent than Goten."

Bulma acknowledged her mother's point then added. "And Trunks really doesn't have much in common with his father. Trunks is a natural leader... well _ring-leader_ at least." She shook her head at the thought of how much mischief Trunks had encouraged over the years. "You'd think Vegeta would be as well, what with him being a real Prince but intimidation is pretty much his only real 'people skill'."

* * *

"I said 'no' Kakarrot. It's a simple concept, I'm certain even you can comprehend it if you put some effort into it."

"But Vegeta..."

"I'm not teaching you and that's final."

"Then cut off my tail," Goku demanded.

"Fine," Vegeta said.

"NO!" 'Geta exclaimed. He yanked Goku away from Vegeta. "You can't! It's part of being Saiyan! And that's most of your power! You can't just throw it away."

"I'm not gonna squish anyone else!" Goku shouted.

"Don't you take any pride in being Saiyan at all?" 'Geta demanded furiously. Then he turned on his older counterpart. "And you! After everything I've been through don't you care at all?"

"What happened?" Goku asked.

Vegeta grimaced. "Without their tails Saiyans can pass for humans or any of a half-dozen other races," he said, avoiding most of the issue. He glanced at the younger Vegeta. "I – we- ran into a group of Saiyan smugglers who'd survived the planet."

"Two years ago," the younger supplied. "They cut-off their tails and pretended not to be Saiyan. The cowards." He glared at Vegeta. "And you're just like them! Don't you even want to be Saiyan anymore?"

The next thing Vegeta-chan knew he was dangling in midair, a hand wrapped around his throat like an iron band choking the life out of him.

"You still haven't learned to stop mouthing off?" Vegeta asked in a soft, deadly voice. He touched the boy's jaw lightly with his free hand. "What was the normal way they shut you up?" His touch shifted to a crushing grip. "I remember. They broke your jaw. The only reason they didn't cut your tongue out was that they _liked_ that you'd always give them an excuse."

"Kamehame-Ha!" Goku's powers at fifteen were inconsequential to Vegeta in his prime. Still Goku's most concentrated attack fired into Vegeta's extended arm at point blank range was enough to make him drop the younger Vegeta.

"Cut it out!" Goku shouted. "You're hurting him!" Goku planted himself defensively between Vegeta and Vegeta-chan. He glared at the older Saiyan with a mixture of shock and outrage. For the first time Vegeta found himself seeing the time-displaced boy as Goten. Goten and Trunks were the only ones he could truly shock if he ever showed them the darker side of his nature. They were the only ones who saw him, without reservation, as a good person.

Vegeta looked down at his younger self. The boy's face was a blank mask. For several moments he just lay where he'd been dropped. Vegeta knew that the boy was considering whether or not this was one of the times when it was best just to stay down. It had only been after Vegeta-sai's destruction that he'd lost enough pride to ever do that. While his father had still lived he would have kept getting up so long as he retained consciousness, even against Frieza, just in case word got back to the king. After Vegeta-sai had been destroyed Frieza had taught him it was better to go to his knees willingly then to wait until Frieza forced him to them.

"Don't look at the moon, either of you," Vegeta ordered.

Then Vegeta retreated to the Gravity Room and set it high enough to kill anyone else in the house. Vegeta found himself waiting for Bulma to come and yell at him for what he'd done. When she didn't come he was disquieted rather than relieved.

* * *

"It's probably for the best that Goku stay with us. The moon would be up before he could make it home." Bunny spoke into the phone as she watched her daughter pin together the drapes in the front room. "And Chichi, could you let Trunks stay with you tonight?" she asked. "Things are a bit tense here."

"Goku-sweetie, I shut all the windows. It's safe to come out now," Bulma said to the coat closet door.

"What if you forgot one?" Goku's voice came back.

"Goku, I didn't forget any," Bulma said.

"Or what if a curtain blows open and I wake up and just look? What if I trip? What if the house catches on fire? What if I forget and look up?"

Bulma bit her lip. She'd always been ashamed that she was terrified of Goku's Oozaru form. Having Goku share her fear made it worse. This was why they'd never told Goku the truth about what happened to his grandfather.

"I could call Kuririn," Bulma suggested after a time. "I don't think I could cut off your tail for you even if I tried, but he could. Then you wouldn't have to worry."

There was a long silence. "No," Goku said finally, reluctantly. "It would hurt 'Geta and he's my friend."

Bulma winced at the reminder of the other boy. After the incident Vegeta-chan had retreated to his room, the last time Bulma checked on him he'd been staring blankly at the wall. A hand-shaped bruise was already darkening the boy's throat.

* * *

Vegeta turned up the gravity in the GR for the third time. Then went back to dodging lasers even though the gravity was so intense it hurt just to move.

Trunks was a hell-raising spoiled brat and Goten was an infuriatingly naive moron. The two of them tried his patience on a daily basis but he had no desire to hurt them. He wanted to scare the living day-lights out of them on a regular basis but he never truly lost his temper with them. In fact when Trunks had been an infant, he'd been reluctant to even touch the boy for fear of doing harm. His father and Nappa would both sneer at how he'd trained Trunks. The boy was eight years old, had more power than an adult of Saiyan Elite could dream of and Vegeta had never even really sparred with the boy. In a real spar he would have had to hit Trunks and he didn't trust himself that far.

Kakarrot was his rival but the teenaged version didn't in spire any urge to do violence in him. He found it difficult to believe that the brat would be a Super Saiyan in just over a decade. Even when he considered Kakarrot's age and class the fifteen-year-old was weak for a Saiyan. And yet, somehow, Kakarrot always rose to any challenge he encountered. Since being brought into this time Kakarrot's power had already more than doubled.

Vegeta did a few quick mental calculations and realized that, given a year if both Kakarrot and Vegeta-chan continued to progress at their current rates, the third class moron would catch up to him. Vegeta ground his teeth in disgust. But it wasn't directed at his rival, it was his young counterpart he was disgusted with. Vegeta grimaced 'And that was the problem. I feel nothing but contempt for my counterpart. He's much stronger than Kakarrot at the same age but not strong enough to have any control over his life.' Vegeta sneered. 'He's barely strong enough to survive but he can't admit that even to himself. I despise him for the choices he's going to make in the next few years.'

"_Don't you even want to be Saiyan anymore?"_

Vegeta flinched. That had hit a little close to the bone. There _were_ decisions that the Saiyan people had made that he no longer agreed with. That he questioned, even rejected, certain aspects of his culture was not something Vegeta was comfortable with. Still when he applied Saiyan infant mortality statistics to Trunks' chances for survival he couldn't even pretend to be angry that Bulma had cut the brat's tail off before he ever transformed. The Oozaru transformation and the power that came with it wasn't worth the risk.

But that had nothing to do with his agreeing to get rid of Kakarrot's tail. Every Saiyan child born on Vegeta-sai was tested to see if they would survive the transformation before they were even named. Kakarrot's tail didn't represent a danger to the other Saiyan. If Vegeta taught him to control the Oozaru state, as his younger counterpart had requested, it wouldn't represent a danger to anyone else either. Vegeta just didn't want to teach that to his rival. The first time they'd fought Vegeta won because he could use his Oozaru transformation and Kakarrot couldn't

Vegeta gritted his teeth. 'Not that it will matter in the new time line that had been created by the brats' wish. Kakarrot and I won't meet as enemies. We won't fight when I come to the earth, not unless my counterpart goes insane in the next twenty years. '

A cold chill ran down Vegeta's spine, twenty years with Frieza _would_ drive his counterpart insane. On Namek he had begged Kakarrot to kill Frieza to stop the lizard from twisting anyone else the way Frieza had done to him. It had taken his imminent death to bring Vegeta back to himself enough to see how Frieza had distorted who he was. Like re-breaking a bone after it had healed wrong, it had taken seeing his son die for him to remember that there were more important things than base survival.

When Vegeta had come to Earth he didn't have the capacity for any sort of loyalty. He'd killed his lifelong bodyguard without hesitation or remorse. The fifteen-year-old wasn't that person yet, but he would be by the time he came to Earth and in the time line he was returning to Kakarrot wouldn't recognize his coming as the portent of doom that it was. "Trusting fool," Vegeta muttered. In that other time line Kakarrot wouldn't expect him to be an enemy and Kakarrot would die before he recognized his mistake. 'With no one to stop me I'll decimate the Earth," Vegeta thought. "Much more importantly I'll kill Bulma before I even know who she is."

Vegeta turned the GR down to a sane level and started planning. Before the year was up he needed to make sure that his counterpart could destroy Frieza upon his return to his own time or he needed to ensure that Kakarrot would defeat Vegeta-chan when he first came to Earth.


	5. Fears and Choices

**Choice to be Different**

**Chapter Five: Fears and Choices**

** Disclaimer: **Characters and premise are the property of Akira Toriyama, I'm just borrowing them for some non-profit fun.

* * *

Bulma gave the closet door one last look then sighed and turned to go check on Vegeta-chan again when Vegeta suddenly stalked into the room and tore the door off the coat closet.

Goku tumbled out with a yelp. He quickly slapped his hands over his eyes.

Vegeta picked Goku up by the scruff of the neck. "I changed my mind Kakarrot. I think I'll teach you to control the Oozaru after all."

Bulma stepped into Vegeta's path. "Vegeta, do you really think it's a good idea to do this?" she asked.

Vegeta felt something twist inside him at the look in her eyes and the realization that his wife didn't trust him with a child anymore. He brushed past her without a word and took to the air. Vegeta flew out to the stark wasteland where he and Goku had first fought. "We're here brat, open your eyes," Vegeta ordered as he tossed Goku to the ground.

"But I'll-"

"How did you think you'd learn to control it?" Vegeta demanded. "Just realize a dumb beast won't be able to fight **me**. Then, when you get tired of being thrown around, wake-up."

"What you mean, 'wake-up'? I'm already awake." Goku asked. His eyes popped open as curiosity overwhelmed him. Vegeta was floating in mid-air, silhouetted against the harvest moon.

Goku froze. His eyes went wide and blank, a heart-beat too powerful for his present frame thudded in his ears.

Vegeta turned to stare at the moon as well. His tail and his ability to transform were long gone, but he remembered.

* * *

Vegeta-chan crouched in the center of his room. His eyes were empty, his expression shuttered. Someday no one, no one would be able to make him afraid like that! Someday he'd be more powerful than anyone, but not today. He wanted to hurt someone, to destroy something. He wanted to remind everyone, most especially himself, of the power that he did possess. He wanted to make someone else more afraid and more hurt than he was. But he couldn't, not here, his older counterpart wouldn't allowed it. If he'd been on one of Frieza's bases he would have picked a fight with a group of lesser mercenaries and killed them or taken a mission and slaughtered the population of some random planet to get rid of the feeling of helplessness. Here he'd been warned against doing that. Here he wasn't allowed to lash out at anyone he could actually hurt.

He smashed his fist into the floor. The floor-boards shattered, the concrete foundation beneath them cracked. Pain lanced up his arm from his knuckles. Vegeta-chan drew back and hit the concrete again, harder. His fist sunk into the concrete. The jagged edges of the hole torn at his flesh as he pulled his arm out and hit it again. He wanted to hurt something so badly he could taste it, but he wasn't allowed. Some small part of the urge seemed to trickle out of him along with the blood that was just beginning to seep from the scratches in his arm.

Experimentally he forced his power down then hit the concrete again. He felt the bones in his hand crack. The pain radiating up his arm obscured the duller ache from his bruised throat. He hit the concrete again and again. Bones splintered in his hand and the fragments tore through his flesh. The sound of his fist impacting the broken concrete changed from sharp cracks to a wet sound as his flesh gave way. Everything faded away except the pain.

Then someone was screaming at him. Begging him to stop. Arms wrapped around him, futilely trying to restrain him. He could feel the weakness in the arms, he knew he could break their hold on him without even trying but he stopped. There was something so novel about being held that it shocked him out of the trance he'd been in. He let himself be pulled into a warm embraced.

The whispered promises that she would fix things were empty words. Vegeta had grown up knowing that his only escape, the only way to make things better was for him to become the strongest. Still he could sense that the intent behind the promises was sincere. If she'd had the ability she would have taken away all the hurt and anger and shame.

With a small grunt of effort Bulma lifted Vegeta-chan to his feet then she led the dazed boy to the infirmary. A quick X-Ray confirmed what Bulma's senses told her when she'd first touched Vegeta-chan's injured hand: The damage was much worse than a simple break that could be set and would heal on it's own. The Regen tank was still out of the question, the injuries he'd arrived with and the broken collar bone had healed but his body still hadn't had time to restore it's reserves. It was going to take Dende or a Senzu bean to see that Vegeta-chan's injuries healed correctly this time.

Vegeta-chan watched blearily as Bulma wrapped his arm in bandages. She urged him up onto one of the beds in the infirmary then offered him a mug of a viscous green liquid. "The bones in your hand are crushed. This will take away the pain and make you sleep until I can get someone to heal it." The look in Vegeta-chan's eyes was more shocky than comprehending but when Bulma held the mug to his lips he drank without complaint.

After a few minutes his eye-lids began to droop. Gently Bulma pushed him to lay down. Then she pulled a blanket over him and sat beside him stroking his hair and quietly reassuring him until his was completely under.

Bulma got up. She tiptoed out of the room and shut the door behind her. Then she leaned back against the wall and slowly slid down it until she was curled up in a ball in the hallway, sobbing.

* * *

"You can do better than that," Vegeta smirked as he narrowly dodged the Great Ape's attacks.

Left, left, kick, right, punch, punch, right.

Given the size differential between them Vegeta felt slightly ridiculous but the important part was the pattern. The answering kata was the first one every elite Saiyanjin child learned. He'd taught it to Trunks even though there was no reason to; the boy's tail had been removed the same day Trunks had been born. Vegeta had gone ahead and taught the pattern to Kakarrot and Goten as well after Bulma blackmailed him into teaching them. At the time there hadn't been a reason. There were rumors about lower class fighters who spontaneously gained awareness of their Oozaru forms but no one bothered to try to teach them to do it. Still Trunks and Vegeta's younger counter-part already knew the kata. It had just been simpler to teaching it to the other two rather than teaching all four boys something new.

Left, left, kick, right, punch, punch, right.

The trick to this was to reach the sentient mind sleeping beneath the animalistic rages. The key was familiarity. The pattern was burned into the muscles through repetition. It helped to have a familiar person to work with but the Saiyan people had been at war for the entirety of their recorded history. And when you were at war people had a tendency of dying unexpectedly so the pattern was the same for everyone.

Left, left, kick, right, punch, punch, right.

After Vegeta-sai was gone he and Nappa had tried to teach Radditz. He was a third class idiot, like his younger brother. Raddiz was totally unworthy of the effort but it wasn't as if there were other options and a self-aware Oozaru was fifty times more effective than a rampaging brute. They'd even made some progress with him. Then Radditz's mate died and he chose to spend as much time lost in a battle-haze as possible.

Left, left, kick, right, punch, punch, right.

It had only been a few months since Vegeta had taught the kata to Kakarrot and Goten. That wasn't really long enough for the pattern to sink into Kakarrot's bones. This was a waste of time.

Left, left, kick, right, punch, punch, BLOCK.

Vegeta sneered. He should have known. It involved fighting, of course Kakarrot would master it with unheard of ease. And people wondered that he despised the other Saiyan?

Still anticipating the pattern was only the first step. Now the challenge began... for the sensei. The Oozaru had the pattern and could anticipate his instructor's movements but still had to be guided into his half of the pattern.

Vegeta grunted in annoyance. Oozaru or no Oozaru he was still more powerful than the boy he faced but when the paired kata had been developed no one had ever anticipated a situation where the instructor would be incapable of making the transformation. It was damned awkward adopting what should have been a completely rigid pattern to account for an opponent who was fifteen times his size.

Left-block, left-block, kick, right-block, punch, punch, right-block.

It had to do with keeping the people around him safe. Of course Kakarrot would find a way to do it. Kakarrot always found a way to win when his friends and his planet were on the line. In a way Vegeta hated him for that more than anything else. Vegeta had sacrificed everything he had, everything he could to protect Vegeta-sai and it had all been for nothing, the Universe didn't arrange miracles for him.

Vegeta done everything in his power to save Vegeta-sai and he'd lost. He'd thought there would never be anything that could make him put it all on the line again. Then he'd watched Cell kill his son and learned that he did have things that were worth his life to protect: Bulma, Trunks. Still he couldn't understand how Kakarrot could find equal motivation over the fate of a stranger.

Saiyans were a warrior race, a race of conquers but Kakarrot turned that on it's head and became a protector. But still Saiyan, Vegeta grinned oddly as he remembered Kakarrot sparing him after their first encounter. It hadn't been the protector who had asked for Vegeta's life that day but the Saiyan warrior who hadn't been content with the outcome of their battle. Vegeta had been defeated and the Earth was safe but Kakarrot hadn't won their fight. It had taken a group effort and more than a small amount of luck. Vegeta's face twisted in annoyance as he remembered Gohan, in Oozaru form, collapsing on top of him. That day Kakarrot hadn't spared him out of any sentimental human emotions. Kakarrot asked for his life so that they could fight again. So that Kakarrot could find out if he could have gained enough strength and skill to defeat Vegeta on his own. Vegeta didn't think his pride could have stood it if Kakarrot's reasoning that day hadn't been Saiyan at it's heart.

Left-block, left-block, kick, right-block, punch, punch, right-block.

Vegeta laughed dryly. Underneath it all Kakarrot was still Saiyan. Brought up on Earth without memory of his people it was simply in his blood.

_Author's Note: In the DBGT flashback about that incident Goku spared Vegeta more out of sense of "there but for the grace of god go I" (and I can't remember how the scene went in the various translations of the Anime). But this is the Viz manga version of that scene: Kurrin: "Are you thinking he's gonna see the light, like Piccolo? That he's gonna turn over a new leaf? Well, forget about it! He's not like that!! He doesn't have a leaf to turn over! He doesn't have a speck of decency in him! He's a killing machine! He's a-" Goku: "I know... and I know how dangerous he is... But...I don't know how to say it... When Isaw him about to die... I thought... What a waste... I trained under Kaio, the lord of worlds... I thought I'd hit the peak of power... But Vegeta was... so far above me..! I was shocked... scared. But... Somewhere inside... I was happy. I was... thrilled... to be fighting such power... I guess it's my Saiyan blood... It's no smart, I know... But next time I swear I'm gonna surpass him... Gonna beat him!! I know it's wrong, but please... Let me do it myself!!"  
_

_I prefer the manga translation. Not to mention I think that reasoning would have been a lot easier on Vegeta's pride than to have been spared out of pity._

* * *

Bunny Briefs found her daughter in her lab, throwing things. "Bulma! What's wrong?"

Bulma picked up a piece of glassware and hurtled it at the far wall of the lab. "A year is going to pass."

A test tube shattered.

"The Dragonballs are going to regenerate."

A peitri dish.

"They'll use my radar to find them."

A beaker.

"Then we'll let him wish himself-"

Another beaker.

"-back to Frieza-"

A scale.

"-for twenty, fucking, years!"

Bulma started sobbing. Bunny patted her on the back soothingly.

"Oh Mom, I know Goku has to go back to save the Earth from Piccolo and everyone else that came after him but why do we have to let Vegeta go back? I know what's going to happen to him."

"Bulma, I think Vegeta turned out alright," Bunny comforted.

"I love Vegeta, but he's not alright," Bulma asserted. "Vegeta-chan's in the infirmary and he did it to himself: First Vegeta, _my Vegeta_, nearly strangled that poor kid! Then he- every bone in his hand and half-way to his elbow is shattered, not broken, shattered! Vegeta couldn't hurt himself like that by accident. Concrete's not that hard."

Bunny pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Vegeta-chan isn't nearly as strong as Vegeta," she pointed out.

Bulma shook her head. "He's stronger than Goku and I knew Goku at that age. Goku vs. Concrete would end with powdered concrete and scraped knuckles. Vegeta-chan was making an effort not to gather his ki, he was trying to hurt himself Mom."

"Where is he now?" Bunny asked.

"The infirmary. I gave him a sedative, he'll be out for twelve hours minimum." Bulma said.

"Well it won't do anyone any good for you to work yourself up into a tizzy. Why don't I make you a nice cup of tea and we'll talk about it," Bunny suggested.

Bulma nodded and wiped at her eyes.

The water started boiling just as the sun came up.

Vegeta returned with an unconscious Goku tucked under his arm like a bag of flour. Both Saiyans were covered in dirt and blood. Vegeta was about to toss Goku on the couch when Bunny gave him a disapproving look. He sighed and waited until she'd spread a sheet over it to protect it from the mess.

"How'd it go?" Bulma asked.

"He learned," Vegeta said. "Once he gained control of his Oozaru form I almost got a decent spar out of him."

He was happy. It made Bulma want to forget about everything else that had happened that night and play with him. "Almost?" she asked, her eyes making note of Vegeta's battered condition.

He smirked. "I didn't bother to ascend. When is breakfast going to be ready."

"Later," Bulma sighed as reality crashed in. "There's something you need to see first."

* * *

Vegeta stared down at his younger counterpart in silent shock for several moments. Then, hesitantly, he reached out to touch the boy's injured hand; beneath the bandages it felt like a bag of rock shards.

"Why did he do that?" Bulma asked.

Vegeta's gaze shift guiltily to the bruises on the boy's throat. The idea that he would take out his violent impulses on himself if denied any other target was disturbing and hard to accept but he was looking at the proof. He'd always been able to find a target for his hatred, Bulma's robots at the very least. As much as he wanted to believe he'd never do anything like what the boy had done he couldn't be sure. And Vegeta had to admit that no one had made a point of making him feel powerless once he'd come to Earth. He hadn't been so kind to the boy.

"It won't happen again," Vegeta promised quietly.

"Why did he do it in the first place?" Bulma demanded. "Make no mistake, I'm furious about that," she gestured to Vegeta-chan's throat, "but it's nothing compared to the injuries he had when he first came here."

Vegeta looked away from her. "I'll get a Senzu bean from the cat," he said flatly.

Bulma grimaced. She wondered if the thing Vegeta didn't want to tell her was about his past or his present. Vegeta left before she could ask.

He flew to Korin's tower and landed on the balcony. "Cat, the Senzu beans restore energy," he stated as he glowered at the tower's master. "They would heal exhaustion. They don't deplete the body when they heal it correct?"

Korin gave Vegeta a long, searching look. "It'll heal the boy's injuries and the damage from over-using those nasty tanks." He produced a small bag of Senzu beans. Then he hesitated before tossing them to Vegeta. "They won't fix emotional and mental exhaustion though. You can't nearly kill him to make him stronger then give him a Senzu bean to make it all better. He needs a break from the pain and the ugly things he's done and seen more than anything else. It wouldn't kill you to just let him be a kid for once."

"Feh, just because you can read my thoughts doesn't mean you understand anything," Vegeta stated. He snatched the beans out of Korin's hand and stomped out of the tower.

* * *

The next morning Vegeta found Goku chatting animatedly with Vegeta-chan. The two boys sat cross-legged on opposite ends of the bed in the infirmary while they compared the relative merits of various methods of responding to blinding attacks. As soon as Vegeta stepped into the room the boys went silent. They watched him warily.

Vegeta flicked one of the Senzu beans to Vegeta-chan. The boy plucked it out of the air then stared at the unassuming little bean blankly. Goku's eyes lit up with recognition. "Oooh! Eat it. It'll make you all better."

Vegeta-chan shrugged then popped the bean into his mouth. His jaw dropped as it's healing properties took effect. A moment later he'd hopped off the bed and was rapidly discarding his bandages.

Goku grinned at the wonder in Vegeta-chan's expression as the other boy stretched and flexed his newly healed fingers.

"Beat it brat," Vegeta told Goku.

Goku hesitated. For a long moment he stared into Vegeta's eyes. Vegeta could almost hear Goku wondering if Vegeta intended to make things right between himself and his counterpart..

//None of your business Kakarrot,// Vegeta thought back.

"Hey! I heard you talking but your mouth didn't move!" Goku exclaimed.

"That's not possible," Vegeta-chan stated. "It took years before I could talk with Nappa and Radditz that way."

"Kakarrot trusts by default," Vegeta explained. When he saw Vegeta-chan's confusion he gave the boy a faint shrug; he didn't understand how anyone could do that either. "He isn't normal. And I was dying the first time I tried to reach out to him. I had nothing left to guard against."

Goku stuck his tongue out at the older Saiyan in response to the 'not normal' comment.

"And the Kakarrot I knew was no more mature than this one," Vegeta added. "The connection seems to have carried over."

Vegeta-chan snickered.

"The only time you two get along is when you're being mean to me," Goku whined.

The two Vegetas traded a smirk. Goku huffed in mock irritation.

"He did teach me in the end. I think he's sorry about what he did," Goku whispered to Vegeta-chan. He gave the other boy an encouraging grin then scurried out of the infirmary.

After Goku had gone a long silence descend on the room. Vegeta-chan sat back down on the bed his arms crossed over his chest, slightly turned away from his older counterpart. Vegeta leaned back against the opposite wall, crossed his arms over his chest and glowered at his younger counterpart.

Vegeta's family and Goten would have understood that Vegeta suddenly agreeing to something he'd refused to consider previously was basically Vegeta's way of apologizing. Vegeta-chan knew better than most that an actual apology required too much loss of face, still he had his own pride to satisfy.

"You have eight months until the Dragonballs regenerate," Vegeta said finally. "Nothing less than a Super Saiyan will defeat Frieza."

"I told you I wanted to learn," Vegeta-chan reminded him sulkily.

"Kakarrot managed the transformation after training and living in a hundred times Earth's gravity for a few weeks then taking and recovering from near-fatal injuries," Vegeta stated. "His emotions aid him in the transformation, yours won't. I trained for months at five hundred times Earth's gravity before making the transformation." Vegeta hesitated. "You'll improve at the greatest rate if you move into the Gravity Room. If you're not actively training increase the gravity until it hurts to breathe."

Vegeta-chan watched him warily. He didn't trust that Vegeta was actually offering to help him.

"Tactics won't help you," Vegeta continued. "You're already beyond him tactically but tactics only take you so far, beyond that there's power. Frieza has never fought anyone who's power came close enough to his level for tactics to matter. The only way for you to win is to get stronger, much stronger."

"What do I do when you're training?" Vegeta-chan asked.

Vegeta met his younger counterpart's eyes levelly. "While you're here I'll restrict my training to levels you can withstand," he said. Getting the boy ready to face Frieza was more important than his own training.

* * *

Two months passed and Vegeta-chan's power increased greatly but Vegeta could see that it wouldn't be enough for the boy to become a Super Saiyan before the Dragonballs regenerated. Furthermore by the end of two months the boy seemed to have reached a plateau. The rate at which Vegeta-chan's power was increasing tapered off despite the intense regime he was being subjected to.

During the two months Vegeta continued teaching Goku to control his Oozaru form as well. When there was no moon Vegeta conjured up his false moon so they could continue with Goku's training. Gradually Goku reached the point where he didn't need Vegeta's help to come back to himself after the transformation. Vegeta took advantage of Goku's Oozaru form to get a sparring partner who could challenge him, at least as long as he didn't transform into a Super Saiyan, since he'd surrendered the Gravity Room to his counterpart.

Working with Goku so much led Vegeta to the realization that the Earth-reared Saiyan's powers had increased so much more rapidly than his own counterpart's because no one on the planet had been able to push the boy to achieving his true potential in the time where he belonged. To Goku Vegeta's harsher training methods were like water in a dessert.

However, just like Vegeta-chan, Goku's rate of improvement leveled out after a time, and Vegeta found himself forced to admit that the boys might well be reaching the limits of what their immature bodies could accomplish. The thought that they would end up wasting what little time Vegeta-chan had to prepare waiting for him to grow up frustrated Vegeta to no end. Still he could see that the break from the abuse he'd suffered under Frieza's rule was doing the boy good.

The fact that Goku's power had stabilized at a level that was somewhat above average for an elite Saiyan of the same age stunned Vegeta. He knew Kakarrot had been born with a substandard power level even for a third-class Saiyan. Vegeta had always believed that it was the universe unfairly favoring Kakarrot that enable him to find the power he needed or some sort of magic imparted by emotions.

Vegeta had even researched power increases tied to emotions since it was blatantly apparent that Gohan's power in particular was closely tied to his feelings. He'd learned all about human adrenaline rushes and the way that it could momentarily boost their strength to miraculous levels. Saiyans didn't have anything comparable but the wild fluctuate in Gohan's power, particularly the ones Radditz's scouter had recorded so long ago, matched the stories Vegeta had found about humans' adrenaline rushes. Vegeta believed that a momentary boost from adrenaline explained how Gohan had managed to become a Super Saiyan when he'd never achieved a base power level that was comparable to his father's or Vegeta's own base level. Human/Saiyan hybrid biology could explain Gohan's atypical strength. Vegeta himself had been born with the highest power level ever recorded for a Saiyan child, he'd been raised to believe that he would make the legend of a Super Saiyan reality again. There was no explanation for Kakarrot, at least not one Vegeta wanted to believe.

What Vegeta didn't like to face was the idea that Kakarrot's true potential hadn't been related to his power level at birth. If there wasn't a magical-emotional explanation for Kakarrot's strength then the Saiyan people had discarded hundreds of perfectly healthy children every year. If a child born with a negligible power level could become stronger than most of his elite-born peers by the time he was fifteen then there had been something wrong with how the Saiyan people had raised heir children because what Goku had accomplished just didn't happen on Vegeta-sai. But that didn't matter anymore, Vegeta-sai was dead and gone, Frieza was still a problem, at least for the boy.

Vegeta had to find a way around the boy's inability to gain enough power in the time they had. He considered the Room of Space and Time, but discarded the idea. Vegeta pictured the vast, harsh emptiness inside the Room of Space and Time and he knew he couldn't send the boy in there not after what had happened. Inside the Gravity Room the boy had Bulma's robots to vent his frustration on. Also Vegeta could monitor the boy's training in the Gravity Room but he had already used up his two years inside the Room of Space and Time. Vegeta didn't know of anyone who could withstand conditions inside the Room of Space and Time who would be willing to spend a year in there to help him and he didn't want to give the other Z-fighters the satisfaction of turning him down if he asked them for the favor.


	6. Games People Play

**Choice to be Different**

**Chapter Six: Games People Play**

**Disclaimer: **Premise and characters belong to Akira Toriyama, I'm just borrowing them for some non-profit fun.

* * *

Goku banged loudly on the side of the Gravity Room. "Hey 'Geta! I'm here!" he shouted. Then he sat down and started pulling off his weighted clothes. Inside Vegeta-chan hurried to reset the gravity to a slightly lower level and started pulling on weights.

According to his older counterpart sparring wouldn't do much to improve Vegeta-chan's chances against Frieza but he didn't want to get out of practice. Besides, it was more fun than training on his own all the time. Since moving into the Gravity Room Vegeta-chan rarely saw anyone other than his older counterpart. He didn't have down-time anymore so finding ways to include Goku in some of his training seemed well worth the bother to Vegeta-chan.

The door to the GR cycled open and Goku bounced inside. "Wow 'Geta, you look like you've been living under a rock," Goku greeted the other boy with friendly concern.

'Geta rolled his eyes. Sometimes Goku reminded him too much of Radditz. Trunks had been wrong when he told Goku that he didn't act like a proper Saiyan because he smiled, laughed and liked people. In Vegeta's experience that was all perfectly normal for a third-class warrior like Goku or his older brother Radditz. Well it was normal to be friends with some people anyway, Goku's desire to be friends with absolutely everyone was pretty weird. But what made Goku truly stand apart from every other Saiyan Vegeta had ever met was that there was no air of barely contained violence around him. Even though Goku was a warrior he radiated warmth. Still, when you got beyond the violence Radditz had the same tendency to forget Vegeta's station and the same habit of treating him like a friend. Sometimes it made Vegeta want to smack Goku, because both brothers were morons with no inclination to treat their prince with the proper diffidence, but mostly it made things easier. At least one thing in this world was a little familiar.

"I told Goten and Trunks I'd play tag with them after we were done," Goku told him. "You should come too. Sun's good for you!"

'Geta sniffed disdainfully. "I'm not playing one of their stupid games again."

"Tag's okay," Goku insisted. "Gohan explained it to me. See it's a way to practice hunting. The person who's it is the hunter and everyone else pretends to be prey. If the hunter catches someone they trade. Trunks and Goten weren't very good at it. They'd just run around and make a lot of noise but they're getting better."

Goku did a few quick stretches. Then he bounced on his toes a couple of times to get a feel for the heavier gravity.

'Geta shrugged his shoulders to settle the weighted clothes he pulled on. "I should probably keep training," he said.

The two boys squared off to spar.

"Awww, you're no fun," Goku pouted. "Running around is good training too. You train by yourself too much."

"I have to kill that bastard!" 'Geta snapped. "He destroyed our world. I _have_ to avenge them. My father was counting on me to save them! Avenging them is all I have left."

Goku's eyes darkened with sadness. "I know. I have to beat Piccolo too. I have to make sure he won't kill my friends again."

"It's not the same!" 'Geta snarled as he attacked. "You beat Piccolo!" Punch. "Frieza's always been too strong for me!" Kick "I don't remember before Frieza." Kick. "My whole life I was supposed to protect the Saiyans from him!" Punch. "I was supposed to stop him!" Punch. "I'm the Prince of all Saiyans!" Kick. "I was supposed to save them!" Kick. "But they're all gone!" Kick. "Five years gone!" Punch. "All I can do is get revenge-" Kick. "Only I can't! I'm too weak!"

Goku absorbed 'Geta's attack. He blocked and fell back. He let 'Geta expend his anger. "It'd still be training," he said. "I'll let you borrow my weighted clothes. If you wear them along with your own stuff it'll be harder."

"Not hard enough, nothing ever is."

Goku frowned. "You think too much when you're in here by yourself." He gave 'Geta a pleading look. "Come play with us."

"You're a moron."

"You always say that when you're losing." Goku grinned.

Since 'Geta had started sparring and not just lashing out Goku went on the offensive. "Can't see how you stand being cooped up in here all day. The gravity's cool but I'd rather wear heavy clothes and be outside."

"I live on ships. There is no outside," 'Geta stated.

Goku grimaced. "You should _definitely_ get outside, while you've got the chance."

"When I'm dirtside I'm there on Frieza's orders. I'm there to conquer the planet for him," 'Geta said.

Goku sighed. Sometimes he didn't know what to make of the other boy. " 'Geta come outside, just for fun, just for once."

"Make the spar worth my time and I'll think about it," 'Geta surrendered.

Goku grinned. "Try and keep up."

* * *

"I'm only doing this under protest," Vegeta-chan announced as he joined Trunks, Goten and Goku outside of the GR.

Trunks and Goten grinned.

Goku rolled his eyes. "Stubborn," he said.

'Geta didn't dispute it.

"Come on! Let's play!" Goten exclaimed.

"Goku's it!" Trunks shouted. He grabbed 'Geta's arm and dragged the older boy along with him as he and Goten ran away. "Goku sort of mixes up Hide-and-Seek with Tag," Trunks explained rapidly as they ran. "Explaining the real rules to him is too much of a pain so we decided to go along with it."

'Geta shrugged. He had no clue what the games Trunks mentioned were but he knew how prey behaved even if he was normally the hunter. "I know how to play," he said gruffly.

"Well don't fly," Trunks said as Vegeta-chan veered off. "Goten still can't. And don't go inside, Mom doesn't like us running in the house."

Goku waited until the other three boys were out of sight and sound. Then he glanced at the ground and made a soft tsking sound. The others still didn't think about the tracks they left. When 'Geta's tracks veered off toward a rock garden Goku grinned. When he didn't pick up the other full Saiyan's tracks immediately on the other side of the garden he decided that 'Geta was his prey. Finally, someone who actually understood the game!

'Geta watched Goku track him from the vantage point of the roof. Trunks had forbidden flying but there were few structures that the boys weren't capable of climbing.

The young Saiyan Prince could see that Goku was going to find his hiding place shortly. He'd been careful to tread lightly but Goku was no amateur when it came to tracking game. 'Geta knew he should take advantage of the fact he could jump down on the far side of the building and use it's cover to find a new hiding place before Goku saw him. He knew pretending to be prey was part of the game but he hated running and hiding, especially when the other boy was walking into such a perfect ambush.

'Geta leapt off the roof onto Goku. Goku rolled under the assault and both boys came to their feet in a fighting stance. They traded a fierce grin and the battle was on. The boys traded between offense and defense so rapidly it was impossible to judge which had the advantage.

"You're playing it wrong!" Trunks shouted. He dove between the two full-blooded Saiyans and tossed tem apart using brute strength. "You _said_ you knew how to play 'Geta! This is **tag** not sparring! You touched Goku so you're It now! That means you lost! You're supposed to keep him from touching you! That's the whole _point_ of the game dummy!"

Vegeta crossed his arms and glared at Trunks. "I don't run from my opponents," he declared.

" 'Geta was acting like prey," Goku defended the other boy. "I used to eat bear and wolves and tigers and all sort of things. They attack you when you're hunting them if they think they've got a chance of eating you instead."

"We're playing **TAG!**" Trunks snapped. "We already changed the rules enough because you're too stupid to play it right!"

Goku scowled stubbornly at Trunks. "Gohan said it was to practice hunting. You're the one who does it wrong. Anybody who hunts like you do is gonna starve."

"No I won't 'cause my parents feed me," Trunks snapped. Even as he said it he knew he shouldn't have. He'd heard his mother's stories often enough to knew that Goku's grandfather had died while the other boy had still been a child.

"I wish they'd stop fighting," Goten whispered to Vegeta-chan. "They always end up fighting about who's rules we should use."

"It's a stupid argument," 'Geta declared. He drew both Trunks and Goku's attention. "So what if Goku 'tagged' me when I ambushed him? I 'tagged' him back the next time I hit him. We could try to count hits exchanged; if it's an odd number who's It trades, if it's an even number the same person stays It. Or we could all agree that it's moronic to do that and say who ever gets pinned is It."

"Like that's going to work," Trunks said irritably. "You and Goku aren't strong enough to pin Goten or I."

'Geta and Goku exchanged a glance. "That sounds like a challenge," 'Geta answered for both of them.

* * *

One moment Trunks was darting toward a favorite hiding place the next 'Geta's fist was smashing into his solar plexus, driving the breath out of his body.

Trunks was fast but 'Geta fought with an unhesitating intensity that went beyond simple reaction speed. Vegeta didn't think what was he going to do next while he was in a fight, he'd already figured it all out ahead of time. Nothing Trunks did surprised him, there was nothing Trunks could think of that Vegeta hadn't anticipated and planned for. And it was hard for Trunks to figure out any sort of coherent plan when Vegeta never gave him the chance to get his breath back. Trunks couldn't concentrate long enough to gather his ki and couldn't manage the transformation to a Super Saiyan while Vegeta kept up his unrelenting barrage.

Before Trunks fully knew what had happened he was face down in the dirt. 'Geta twisted Trunks' arm behind the younger boy's back then dug his fingers painfully into the muscles behind Trunks' scapula.

Trunks tried to use his greater strength to free him himself. "Ow! Ow! It hurts!"

'Geta smirked, he knew Trunks was strong enough to break his hold but he'd guessed that Trunks wouldn't be willing to put himself through the pain it would cost him to use that strength. "You're It," he told the lavender-haired boy.

* * *

Trunks gritted his teeth and stomped irritably around the Capsule Corp grounds. He'd been It for twenty minutes and he'd yet to see hide or hair of Goku or 'Geta. Occasional he sensed a spike of ki or heard muffled laughter that gave away Goten's position but him tagging Goten was practically pointless. 'Geta and Goku were the ones who said he'd challenged them. If he couldn't catch one of them what was the point?

"Trunks-kun, I'm bored," Goten announced as he stepped out of hiding.

"So?" Trunks demanded.

"Aren't you gonna chase me?" Goten asked. "You're It and I'm not."

"So?"

"So if you catch me, I'll be It."

"So what? 'Geta and Goku are probably laughing at both of us." A determined light filled Trunks' eyes. "We're not going to let them beat us! This is what we're gonna do Goten. The two of us know every good hiding spot for miles around. They've got to be using one of them. We're going to check all of them. Systematically!"

Goten looked puzzled.

"It's Mom's new favorite word," Trunks explained quickly. "We do it in order so we don't miss anything. Together we'll flush them out and get them! Get it?"

"Working together's against the rules," Goten said doubtfully.

"This isn't Tag, Goten! This is war!" Trunks declared.

Goten sighed and decided it was easiest to go along, although the game was starting to seem less fun.

Their search eventually rousted Goku from a drainage pipe. Trunks had been right, if it had of been just him he would have been caught half way down the pipe while Goku was happily rushing off to find someplace new to hide but with the two of them Goku hadn't been able to get away.

Which didn't mean that he surrendered without a fight.

"Are you It now, Goten?" Goku asked in a hushed voice as his future son crawled into the pipe. "Or are you just looking for a hiding place?"

"I'm sort of It," Goten confessed.

"Oh," Goku said and scrambled out of the pipe backwards, as it was too narrow for him to turn around inside of it.

Trunks was waiting at the far end when Goku popped out. Trunks lunged and Goku dodged. "Oh, that's what Goten meant," Goku declared as he danced out of Trunks' reach. "You're both It."

Goku got some distance between himself and Trunks. He made a dash for safety. Trunks tackled him and the boys plowed through three tree trunks before their combined momentum was spent.

Goku sat and rubbed his shoulder, which had taken the brunt of the punishment. "I guess I'm It," he said.

"Yes!" Trunks exclaimed. He and Goten exchanged a high-five.

"How'd you find me?" Goku asked curiously as he brushed the splinters off his clothes. "I saw you two zipping around but how do you look that fast?"

"We know everywhere good to hide," Goten explained cheerfully.

Trunks elbowed his friend. "Don't tell!"

Goku grinned. "Well, you guys better run," he said. " 'Cause I'm It!"

* * *

Goten watched Goku locate his hiding spot as easily as if Goten had been 'hiding' by standing on top of a table and shouting. It occurred to Goten that maybe there was something to this tracking stuff of Goku's. By the time he was done considering it was too late to run so Goten had to make a fight of it.

Goku knocked Goten's legs out from underneath him. Goten gathered himself to throw Goku off when Goku's fingers brushed lightly against his ribs and the younger boy exploded into helpless giggles. "I give up!" he cried. "Stop tickling me!"

Goku grinned. He stepped back and offered Goten a hand up.

Goten refused the help. He sat were he was, crossed his arms sulkily over his chest and gave Goku a dirty look. "Tickling isn't fair," he pouted.

Goku reached down and lifted his future son to his feet. "I'm ticklish too," he whispered conspiratorially. "Next time..."

Goten grinned. "Next time I'll get you first, just you watch," he declared.

"Next time," Goku agreed. "But this time, you're It!"

* * *

Goten and Trunks searched all the good hiding places and still didn't find Goku or 'Geta. "This is why you don't tell how you do something," Trunks complained.

"Sorry Trunks-kun," Goten said. He noticed a baby dinosaur stretching it's neck up. It was trying to get a particularly nice looking clump of leaves that were just out of it's reach.

"It's okay. They're sneaky, devious even. But no one's as devious as me!" Trunks declared.

Goten nodded absently. The little dinosaur looked so wistfully at the leaves that were just out of reach. Goten wondered if it's mommy was nearby and if she'd help it get the leaves.

"I just need to come up with a plan. A new plan, a better plan. Then we'll show them!"

'Trunks' plans generally took time and ended with them in 'time-out' or hiding from Vegeta-san, the big one,' Goten thought. If he went along with one of Trunks' plans the little dinosaur would be gone and he wouldn't get to play with it. They'd been playing Tag for awhile and it wasn't much fun in Goten's opinion. Everyone was getting mad.

Goten looked at the dinosaur. He looked at Trunks. He looked at the dinosaur. Goten slapped Trunks on the shoulder. "You're It." He said then ran off to go talk to the dinosaur.

Trunks glared after his disloyal best friend then shouted, "Fine! Be that way! I'll just catch them myself, see if I don't!"

After that Trunks sat down to do some serious thinking. Five minutes later he ran back inside the house. "Grandma, could I have some cookies?" he asked.

"Trunks, you know you aren't allowed sweets between meals," Bunny said.

"But Grandma, I'm sooo hungry!" Trunks whined. "And I really, really want cookies."

Bunny's attempt at being stern crumpled beneath Trunks' puppy-dog eyes. "Dinner isn't for quite awhile," she hedged. "I suppose we could call this a late dessert for lunch."

Bunny dug through the industrial sized refrigerator, then popped a tray of frozen cookies into Bulma's new, super fast oven and in just a few minutes Trunks was presented with a heaping tray of steaming hot, gooey, chocolate chip cookies.

"Thanks Grandma," Trunks said as he claimed his bounty.

"Just don't tell your mother I gave them to you," Bunny giggled. Trunks grinned. "And if your father catches you, you know what to do."

"Bribe him with half so he doesn't tell Mom," Trunks replied promptly.

"And be sure to share them with your friends," Bunny finished.

"Oh, I will," Trunks promised with a sly grin. Then he darted outside.

"They want to play 'hunting', I'll show them I can hunt," the lavender haired demi-Saiyan muttered to himself as he made his preparations.

* * *

"What the hell is he doing?" 'Geta whispered to Goku as they pair watched Trunks' antics from the concealing branches of a leafy tree.

Goku shrugged then a light bulb went on. "Oh! Those things they watch on TV! He's making a snare."

'Geta snorted and shook his head. "He actually thinks that thing will work?"

"He's trying his best," Goku defended the younger boy. "Goten quit. He was making friends with one of Bunny-san's pets when I checked on him."

"Speaking of Goten." 'Geta nodded toward Trunks' tray of cookies. The youngest demi-Saiyan was perched on the tree stump where Trunks had left the cookies.

Goten watched his friend's efforts while he absently snacked on the cookies. "What ya doing Trunks?" he asked.

Trunks jumped and spun around. "Goten! You're eating my bait!"

"I thought they were cookies," Goten said. "Bait is worms and crawly things."

"I'm not trying to catch a fish," Trunks huffed. "I'm trying to catch a couple of bossy, know-it-all Saiyans who keep changing the rules for _our_ games."

"Instead of letting you do it," Goten interjected.

"I do not change the rules!" Trunks protested. Then he flushed. "I just don't tell you all of them at the start. It would take too long and you'd probably forget half of them anyway. It just works better if I tell you the rules as we go along."

Goten giggled. "And you win more that way too." He popped another cookie into his mouth. "These are pretty good Saiyan bait."

"Yeah, I know. Grandma made them," Trunks said. "It's been torture smelling them when I can't eat them... SO WOULD YOU STOP EATING THEM ALREADY!!"

"Sorry Trunks-kun," Goten said. Conscientiously he moved away from the depleted cookie tray. "Do you think it'll work?"

"It has to!" Trunks exclaimed. "We never find them! We can all hide our ki but we can't find them and they always know where we are. They always get the drop on us! It's driving me crazy!"

There was a rustle from the bushes. "Not yet!" Trunks shouted. "I'm not ready yet!" He charged the bush. "Come on Goten! Get 'em!"

Without pausing for though both boys pounced.

"Ought-oh," Goku said as he and 'Geta watched but they were too far away to intervene.

Trunks and Goten landed roughly on the small dinosaur Goten had been playing with earlier. It shrieked in pain, thrashed a few times then went still.

"I thought-" Trunks stammered. He backed away from the creature guiltily.

"Mr. Lizard!" Goten cried. He dropped to his knees beside the dinosaur and petted it's head worriedly. When it didn't respond Goten began sniffling.

Trunks looked like he was two seconds away from tears himself. "We didn't mean to..."

Quietly Goku and Vegeta-chan joined the other two boys. "It's dead," 'Geta stated. "Broken spine."

Trunks shook his head in denial. He bit the inside of his cheek so he wouldn't end up crying over some silly dinosaur.

"We gotta wish him better!" Goten cried, tears streamed down his cheeks.

"The Dragon Balls are all used up," Trunks said, there was despair in his tone. "Maybe he's still a little bit alive. We could take him to Dende and he could make him all better."

"Dead is dead," 'Geta said grimly.

Goku looked solemn. "It's wrong to kill things if you don't have to," he said. "But it's okay to kill animals for food... We're going to have to eat it."

"B-but I _liked _Mr. Lizard!" Goten said plaintively.

Goku winced, "We can bury his bones afterwards."

"You can't be serious!" Trunks exclaimed as he stared at the small dinosaur. "He's one of Grandma's pets! Eat him is just gross!"

"Then maybe next time you'll be more careful about what you kill," Goku replied sternly. Goku's tone reminded Trunks that, despite his appearance, Goku was nearly as old as Gohan. And, time displacement aside, this was Goten's dad he was talking to.

"My mom wouldn't like me eating raw dinosaur," Trunks protested as a last resort. "How are we going to cook it?"

'Geta ripped one of the dead animal's limbs off and roasted it with a flash of ki. He handed it to Trunks. "It's cooked now," he said.

"Could you show me how to do that later?" Goku asked 'Geta quietly. Then he started the work of butchering the animal for 'Geta to cook.

It was a grim picnic. Trunks looked revolted and guilty as he tried to choke down the meat. Goten sobbed the whole time and looked as if he were on the verge of throwing up. Goku and 'Geta ate quietly. The fact that their food had been happily running around a few minutes earlier didn't bother them but Goku was unhappy about having upset the younger pair even though he believed he was doing the right thing by making them eat the dinosaur. When Goku had been first learning to hunt he'd loved the challenged of it and had gone out on his own and killed much more game than he and his Grandfather could possibly need. Goku remembered his Grandpa Gohan making him eat until he got sick to teach him not to do that again.

Vegeta stayed quiet because he didn't want the others to realize just how little the dinosaurs' death bothered him. He certainly wouldn't tell the others he'd eaten worse. He wasn't going to say anything about Dodoria 'little joke' of sending Vegeta and his team out with inadequate rations. And he really didn't ever want to tell anyone that sometimes when he was standing on a battlefield surrounded by corpses for as far as the eye could see the idea of going off and killing one more thing just because he was needed food seemed like too much. If they made this much fuss over eating an animal because they'd been playing with it before they killed it 'Geta decided he didn't want to knew how they'd react if he told them he'd eaten sentient beings.

* * *

Vegeta felt a cold chill run down his spine as he watched the four boys deal with the death of the Bunny's pet.

When he'd seen that his younger counter-part was becoming friends with Kakarrot's counterpart he'd worried about the effect it would have on the younger Kakarrot. He had pictured how history could change if the Earth's primary line of defense had regarded him as a friend when he'd come for the Earth's Dragon Balls.

Vegeta hadn't thought about how this interlude was effecting _his _counterpart, not until he'd watched Vegeta-chan back up Kakarrot's efforts to impress the idea that killing was wrong upon the younger pair of brats. As Vegeta watched the four boys solemnly consuming the animal that had been killed by their careless roughhousing it hit him that his counterpart had been changed by his stay on Earth.

And just like that Vegeta knew that he didn't have to worry about the fate of the Earth in the other time line. He didn't have to worry about his counterpart destroying the Earth because the boy who accepted Kakarrot saying that killing was wrong, the boy who had dared to stand up to a much stronger force because he wanted to help his friend, wouldn't live very long in Frieza's army.


	7. Once Games End

**Choice to be Different**

**Chapter Seven: **After the Game Ends

**Disclaimer:** Premise and characters belong to Akira Toriyama, I'm just borrowing them for some non-profit fun.

* * *

When Goku and Goten returned home to Mt. Paouz that night Chichi took one look at her son's tear-stained face and swept him up in her arms. "Goten-sweetie, what happened?" she cried.

"We... Mr. Lizard, poor, poor Mr. Lizard!" Goten managed before bursting into tears again.

As she comforted her youngest Chichi glanced at Goku. Her gaze demanded an explanation.

"We were playing a little rough," Goku said quietly. "There was an accident with one of Bunny's pets."

Chichi winced. This wasn't the first time that there had been an accident due to Goten's inhuman strength. Goten never meant any harm. He and Trunks were both good about watching their strength when they were thinking but when they got excited things just happened.

Chichi had begun teaching Goten martial arts when he was tiny, when she was still stronger than her son. Chichi had wanted to make him aware of how strong he really was and teach him to moderate that strength. Mostly it had worked, but mostly wasn't good enough if he was ever going to be allowed to play with children who weren't part Saiyan.

Goten felt his mother draw away from him. He curled up into a tight ball and started crying even harder.

Chichi sighed and hugged him to her. She knew she never dealt well with reminders of how alien her children truly were. She couldn't help but see that alienness as a threat to her family, fearing that their inhuman abilities would take her boys away from her just as they'd taken her husband away. It had always been hard for Chichi to understand it: Goku was completely Saiyan but his abilities had never seemed so far beyond what was humanly possible when they'd been younger. Occasionally Vegeta had made attempts to explain it to her, once and awhile his explanations were actually sincere rather than being cracks about ' third-class excuses for a Saiyan.'

For Chichi Vegeta's comments about different growth patterns had never really sunk in until she'd seen the fifteen-year-old Goku looking at a picture of his son at age eleven. It was only then that it really hit her that Gohan had been more physically mature at eleven than Goku was at fifteen.

Once Goten had calmed Chichi sat him down so she could make eye contact while she talked to him. "Goten, I know you don't mean any harm. I know you just get excited but you have to be careful."

Goku fidgeted uncomfortably. It didn't seem fair that Goten was in trouble again. "Chichi," Goku said hesitantly. "I talked to him."

"You did?" Chichi blinked. "Well, I guess we don't need to belabor the point. Goten, just remember to be careful okay?"

Goten sniffled and scrubbed at his eyes. He nodded.

"I suppose you two are hungry?" Chichi asked rhetorically.

Goten turned slightly green. "Huh-uh Mommy," he said.

"We already ate," Goku said.

"Poor Mr. Lizard," Goten sniffled.

"You didn't," Chichi said.

Goku shrugged. "If you're gonna kill an animal it ought to be for food."

"And it was one of Bunny-san's pets?" Chichi asked.

The boys nodded.

Chichi grimaced. "Goku, I hope you told Bunny-san what happened to her pet. Trunks doesn't deserve to face _that_ alone."

"She's going to be that upset about her pet?" Goku asked worriedly.

"She's going to _that_upset about you _eating_ her pet," Chichi said.

"Oh," Goku said. "Do you think Trunks would have told her already?"

"Were there any witnesses?"

"Um, just the four of us," Goku said. "Why?"

"Then you've got plenty of time," Chichi said.

"I better hurry back anyway," Goku said.

"Good luck," Chichi said.

"Do I have to go back?" Goten asked in a quavering voice. "What if she cries? I don't want her to be sad."

Chichi nodded. "You have to take responsibility for your actions."

Goten winced but nodded solemnly and the two nearly identical boys headed back outside.

* * *

It was late by the time Goku finished apologizing to Bunny for eating her pet. Goten had been right, she had cried. All four boys had ended up feeling much worse than if she'd yelled at them. The house was dark by the time Goku and Goten got back home.

"I bet Chichi put left-overs in the fridge for us," Goku said quietly as they slipped inside.

Goten flinched and shook his head. "I'm just going to bed," he said.

Goku watched his future-son worriedly. He hadn't realized how upset Goten would be about eating the dinosaur. After Goten was in bed Goku knocked softly on Chichi's door.

"What is it?" Chichi asked sleepily.

"Goten still doesn't want to eat," Goku admitted guiltily. "I'm getting worried."

"It won't hurt him to go hungry for one night," Chichi said. She led Goku to the kitchen and piles some leftovers on the table. "Honestly, I'm relieved. If the way to the Lookout wasn't through thin air Gohan would have worn a rut in the path saving every animal Goten and Trunks have ever accidentally hurt. This is the first time Goten's remorse has lasted for more than the fifteen minutes it takes for Gohan to come to the rescue."

Goku paused for a moment as he ate. He nodded for Chichi to continue.

Chichi sighed. "I hate that Gohan had to grow up so quickly. He was fighting life and death battles before he was even five years old. But I don't know that it's right that we've sheltered Goten and Trunks so much. They're perfectly normal little boys in every respect... except for one: Either of them could blow up the planet."

"Why did you have to die?" Chichi demanded suddenly. "You were supposed to be here to help me with these things!"

Goku pushed aside the remains of his meal and gave Chichi a frustrated look. "I told you: I don't know. It hasn't happened to yet for me."

"No matter what we do Gohan still carries feelings of guilt over your death. Goten doesn't even know you. Piccolo and even Vegeta are better father figures to your sons than you are because at least they're here!"

"You're not being fair Chichi!" Goku complained. He crossed his arm and scowled.

Chichi met Goku's eyes with an intensity that made him squirm uncomfortably. "I want you to promise me something Goku. Really, seriously promise. I want your word that when you go back to your time you won't always be leaving your family."

"Chichi, that's not fair!" Goku exclaimed. "I don't know why the other me decided to stay dead! I don't know why he thought he had to. It's not fair askin' me to promise that 'cause what if I think he was right when it's me?"

"He wasn't right!" Chichi shouted.

Goku stood up. He strode toward the stairs. Chichi felt a well of frustration bubbling up inside her. This was just like him, he was running away so he didn't have to listen to her. To her surprise Goku stopped with one foot on the stair, he didn't look back at her. "I ain't promising Chichi," he said. "I don't know why and I'm not making a promise I might not be able to keep."

All Chichi could think was that this was just like when he wouldn't promise to keep Gohan from fighting Cell. He wouldn't promise because he already knew he was going to do the exact opposite. He was going to die and leave her alone again. Angrily Chichi snatched up one of the empty dishes on the table and threw it at the back of Goku's head.

Goku shifted to the side and let the dish shatter against the wall behind him. "Stop being a brat, Chichi."

Chichi's mouth dropped open. Goku never called her on her temper, not even when she was wrong, not even when they both knew that she was in the wrong. Then she remembered that when she'd known Goku as a child he hadn't been shy about letting a person, even a friend, know when he didn't appreciate their behavior. She wondered when he'd changed, and why.

* * *

Bulma groaned. She sat up in bed and rubbed her sore neck. Vegeta had never been one to toss and turn in his sleep, still Bulma knew when he was troubled by dreams. It was hard to miss it when her favorite pillow turned from flesh into stone. She lay back down and curled up beside Vegeta. Gently she ran her fingers up and down along his arm. She hoped he knew she was with him. She hoped it helped.

"_Oh Vegeta-chan?" Frieza's voice bubbled with happiness. "Kiwi noticed that you seem fond of that Trunks creature. I'd like you to kill it."_

_Vegeta didn't question how Trunks could exist when the face he saw reflected back at him from the shining deck plates in Frieza's throne room couldn't be more than fifteen. He just railed helplessly against what ever it was that made him nothing more than a passenger within his own body._

_He wanted to ascend to Super Saiyan and rip Frieza into pieces. The tyrant had no right to exist, no right to use Trunks' name and no right to order him around! He was the strongest now! No one got to order him around anymore! He did nothing, merely knelt before Frieza and listened to the tyrant think up new ways to destroy every good thing about his life._

"_Would you take care of that Bulma thing too while you're at it? I don't want any more filthy monkeys cluttering up my universe you know," Frieza continued blithely. "It's one thing to keep a few of you as pets - It does give me such pleasure to humiliate you my dearest little Vegeta. - but I don't want you having lives. You might forget that you're nothing but my toy."_

"_Of course not Frieza-sama. I'll go kill them right away." Even as Vegeta raged at his traitorous body he became aware of it's thoughts. 'I don't want to but what choice do I have? I have to live. I have to get stronger. I can't fight him now! If I die who will make him pay?'_

'_He told me that he wouldn't kill them if I was good and did what he said. But he lied. He killed them all. He took away my future. He made me his puppet. He has to pay for what he's done. I have to live. I have to obey. I can't die until after he's paid.'_

'_Father promised I'd be the Legendary. I promised to be strong. He/I promised I'd kill Frieza and save/avenge our people. Father promised. I just have to bide my time and live.'_

_As Vegeta's past incarnation tried to justify what he was going to do his feet carried him steadily nearer to his quarters. To Bulma and Trunks._

_When the door slid open he saw Bulma sitting on the floor playing with an infant Trunks. Bulma glanced up and greeted him with her quick, lively smile. Trunks stood up on unsteady legs and tottered toward Vegeta with his arms stretched out trustingly._

_Vegeta wrenched control of his body back from his past self. He __**would not **__kill his family! He couldn't, it would destroy him as effectively as being shot through the heart. He hadn't meant to let them matter to him. He hadn't intended to let Bulma or the boy become so important to him but it had happened. Somehow, without his realizing it they'd become central to his life. Once he had realized that he'd tried to stop caring but he didn't know how. The only thing he could do was accept that he'd acquired two new vulnerabilities and protect them to the best of his ability._

_And perhaps he'd even come to enjoy the trap that these two had drawn him into. Vegeta picked Trunks up by the back of the boy's shirt. He moved just fast enough to make Trunks squeal in delight and hold out his arms as if he were flying. Vegeta deposited Trunks in his mother's arms. "Why did you come here? It isn't safe," he asked Bulma accusingly._

"_It's where you are," Bulma replied. "Besides, I wanted to see what the fuss was about."_

_Vegeta caught her face between his hands. "You are an exasperating woman," he declared. His thumb stroked the hollow beneath her jaw. She shivered and his gaze grew heated._

'_Both she and the boy are __**mine!**__I will never allow Frieza to take __**anything**__ from me again. I will not tolerate it!' _

"_Stay here, both of you," Vegeta ordered. "It's long past time that I did something about him. I don't need you getting in the way."_

_As Vegeta stalked back towards Frieza's throne room he ascended to Super Saiyan. His eyes became chips of ice and raw power crackled around his body like a nimbus._

_Vegeta and Frieza clashed and for a moment Vegeta believed he was winning. Then Frieza changed, he grew to immense proportions. With a flick of his fingers he knocked Vegeta off his feet. Then he pinned the Saiyan Prince by the simple expedient of pressing his thumb against Vegeta's chest. "Oh Vegeta-chan, you never learn do you?" Frieza laughed. "No matter how strong you become I'll always be stronger. That's why I allow you to live you know. It is so amusing to watch you struggle and fail to reach your goal over and over again."_

"_All your life trying to be the best and never quite making it. You never beat me. You never beat Kakarrot. You've been a disappointment to everyone who's ever counted on you."_

"_I am stronger than you!" Vegeta hissed as he struggled helplessly. "I am__** better**__ than you!" _

_Frieza watched him with an amused smirk. "This really is very entertaining but still you know I have to punish you for forgetting your place."_

_Vegeta froze. An old, unstoppable despair rose up inside of him. It was the same overwhelming sense of futility that had held him paralyzed on Namek while Frieza had beaten him nearly to death._

"_How shall I punish you today?" Frieza tapped his fingernail against his chin thoughtfully. "I know!" he exclaimed. _

_He stretched out his hand, smashing through the walls of the ship and rooted around for a bit. Then he pulled Bulma and Trunks into the throne room like a cat pulling mice from the safety of their hole._

"_I'll kill them while you watch. Won't that be fun?" Frieza asked gleefully._

"_Kill me," Vegeta heard himself say. "Kill me first, don't make me watch. Not again."_

Vegeta's eyes snapped open. "-just a dream," Bulma was saying.

Vegeta suppressed a flash of annoyance that he could be so foolish as to confirm his vulnerabilities to an enemy even if it was just in a dream.

For the space of heartbeat Vegeta allowed himself to fill his sense with Bulma's presence. Then he rolled to his feet. "Go back to sleep woman," he ordered.

Bulma sighed and let him go.

Vegeta made it all the way to the GR before he remembered that his younger counterpart would be there. The boy was living, even sleeping in the chamber's heightened gravity in the hopes of breaking through the Super Saiyan barrier while he was still more than twenty years younger than Vegeta had been when he accomplished the feat.

Vegeta gritted his teeth. The boy was going to fail and in failing he was going to die. Surviving under Frieza's rule required an edge of ruthlessness. Life on Earth dulled that edge in him until it was nothing. The boy was young and malleable, the change in him had happened so quickly that it was impossible to miss.

Vegeta's lips thinned. But the same change had occurred in him as well. More slowly, more subtly, he'd only caught hints of it happening but it had happened. The person he was now wasn't capable of living through the hardships he'd survived as a child. He'd let himself become soft.

He had to go back, had to be strong again. No matter what the cost.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Initially Vegeta's nightmare was going to be a flashback to what his life was like when he was 15, but once I started writing that story just kept growing until it was much too extensive a tangent to put in "Choice to be Different", it messed up the flow of the story. But it was written and I liked it, so I ended up deciding to post it as it's own story: "Set Aside Childish Things". 


	8. Avoiding the Issue

**Choice to be Different**

**Disclaimer:**Premise and characters belong to Akira Toriyama, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

**Chapter Eight: **Avoiding the Issue

* * *

'Geta was rudely woke from a sound sleep by the sudden drop in the gravity when Vegeta over-rode the lock on the GR and stomped inside.

"Put on your armor," Vegeta told the boy gruffly.

Confused, 'Geta did as he was told then followed his older counterpart into the pre-dawn sky. Vegeta led the boy half-way around the globe. He came to a halt hovering over an isolated island nation.

'Geta glanced down at the people going about their day curiously.

"Kill them," Vegeta ordered.

"What?" 'Geta exclaimed.

Vegeta cuffed the boy. "You heard me."

'Geta glanced down at the island again. Uncertainty filled his eyes. "Why?"

Vegeta struck him again. "Don't ask questions. Have you forgotten that lesson already?"

Hesitantly 'Geta stole another glance at the island. "You told me I wasn't to kill anyone here," he pointed out.

Vegeta didn't say anything. He just crossed his arms over his chest and looked at his younger counterpart. They both knew dictates were arbitrary and prone to change without warning.

Still 'Geta hesitated. Everything he'd seen of the Earth told him such behavior was unacceptable. Goku, Bulma, Trunks, Goten... None of them would approve. Even his counterpart's earlier actions confirmed that killing people got you in more trouble than it was worth, especially when 'Geta couldn't imagine any reason to kill these people at all. He didn't want to kill them, it was senseless.

Vegeta watched the boy's face. The impassive mask that had become such a part of him was crumbling before his eyes, it left the boy's expression open and vulnerable. He could practically read the flow of the boy's thoughts from his face: The pull of the ground in habit of biding his time and doing what he was told until he had a chance of winning. The distaste for what was being asked to do. Betrayal at being ordered to do something they both knew was wrong - it startled Vegeta anew to see the degree to which to boy had come to think of this as a safe-haven.

'Geta's face settled into stubborn lines. "At least tell me why." He crossed his arms, unconsciously mimicking his counterpart's body language. "Or I won't do it."

It occurred to Vegeta that the best way to accomplish his goal; to make the boy back into what he'd been, what he had to be to survive Frieza; was simply to keeping hurting him until he acquiesced. But Vegeta didn't have the stomach for it, especially not when he was seeing the boy as a child rather than a reminder of how weak and helpless he'd been back then.

"Your strength plateaued weeks ago. Your training is a waste of time, you can't get stronger until your body matures. The Dragon Balls will have regenerated in another two months. You won't be ready to face Frieza by then."

"But - I've gotten so much stronger," 'Geta protested.

Vegeta's eyes flashed. "You've never even seen Frieza transform! He would destroy you effortlessly in his _second_ state! In his final form you would be less than a fly to him."

'Geta accepted that his older counterpart was telling him the truth. "Then I'll be patient. I'm good at that. I've already waited for so many years. Now I know for sure that I'll be stronger than him one day. I've seen _you_. I can wait."

Vegeta looked down at the peaceful island. "Can you? You wouldn't be standing here talking if you'd questioned Frieza's orders the way you questioned mine."

"But you're _not_Frieza!" 'Geta exclaimed. "Trunks, Bulma and Goten aren't afraid of you. Goku too, but he's a little strange. You're stronger than them but they know you won't hurt them even if you do get mad."

Vegeta ignored him. "You balked at killing these nobodies-"

"Goku - the others wouldn't like it!" 'Geta protested. Vegeta didn't miss the fact that 'Geta was worried about the others' opinion of him. Not even a year and the boy was worrying that his friends might stop liking him. The boy had never seemed younger than he did at that moment.

"What will you do when Frieza tells you to kill someone you know?" Vegeta asked quietly.

"Who?" 'Geta asked. "There's no one left..."

"Appura. And trust me, when you kill her you might as well kill Raditz along with her. It would have been kinder than forcing him to watch."

For several moments 'Geta just stared at his counterpart. Horror dawned in his eyes. He turned and fled.

As the boy disappeared in the distance Vegeta found himself laughing. It was a strange, unhealthy sound with no amusement in it at all. He couldn't stop. It had been so _odd_, watching himself become a monster in his own eyes.

* * *

"Trunks, have you seen your father or Vegeta-chan?" Bulma asked. "The GR's been sitting empty all day."

Trunks shook his head. "Dad probably decided he didn't want to bother with training the rest of us," he said resentfully.

Bulma pursed her lips thoughtfully. There were things she never wanted Trunks to know about his father's past and there were things Vegeta didn't want his son to know. This fell into the later category. At the same time she didn't like the rift that she was seeing develop between Trunks and Vegeta. "Trunks, do you remember how Vegeta-chan was hurt when he came here?" Bulma asked quietly.

Trunks flinched.

"It's dangerous where he's from. Vegeta just wants to make sure he's ready to go back to that," Bulma said.

"I guess," Trunks sighed. Then he changed the subject. "Um, Mom, I wanted to ask you. Do you think Grandma would cheer up if Goten and I found her another dinosaur?"

"I wouldn't recommend it," Bulma said. "You know she only takes in strays. So I don't want you going out and catching any wild animals okay?"

"Yes Mother."

"Trunks, if you do see Vegeta-chan or your father, tell them I'm looking for them okay?" Bulma asked. "I just can't shake this feeling that something's wrong."

* * *

Vegeta returned around mid-day and headed straight for the Gravity Room. Bulma intercepted him with questions about his counterpart but only receive a non-committal grunt for an answer as Vegeta pushed past her.

As the hour grew later Bulma wanted to press Vegeta for more information about 'Geta, or to ask him to simply go out and find the boy for her but he had not only locked himself inside the GR, he'd disabled her overrides and the intercom. Bulma knew she could force her way inside given a little time and persistence but since Vegeta had made it so overwhelmingly clear that he didn't want to be bothered she decided it would be wise to leave him to his own devices.

Still she couldn't just sit in her room and worry, that had never been Bulma's style. Instead she flew out to Mt. Paouz.

"Bulma-san, what brings you out so late?" Chichi asked with concern once Bulma had recapsulized her jet-copter.

"Vegeta-chan," Bulma said. "He disappeared earlier today."

Chichi gave Bulma an ironic look. "You want me to repeat what you told me when it was Goku?"

Bulma frowned. "Well it's _not_ Goku this time. Vegeta-chan isn't familiar with the Earth or Earth customs. Vegeta still doesn't get along well with people and he doesn't just go wandering off the way Goku always has. I - I think something's wrong."

Chichi bit her lip. Bulma had a point, a youthful Vegeta wandering the Earth unsupervised did have a high likelihood of turning into a disaster. "Why don't you ask your husband to find him?" Chichi asked.

Bulma glanced away. "Vegeta's part of the reason why I'm certain something's wrong. Besides he and Vegeta-chan rub each other the wrong way."

Chichi shook her head. "Why doesn't it surprise me that Vegeta can't even get along with himself?"

Bulma gave Chichi a slightly injured look. "Vegeta-chan reminds Vegeta of things he'd rather forget."

Chichi sighed. Vegeta was far from being her favorite person but from what she'd pieced together of his past she knew she wouldn't have wished that sort of a life on her worst enemy. Vegeta was entitled to find reminders of his past with Frieza upsetting. "So what can we do for you?" she asked.

Bulma smiled gratefully. "Is Gohan home?"

"The boys are inside studying," Chichi said. She escorted Bulma up to Gohan's room.

Gohan sat at his desk surrounded by a pile of books. He was working intently on some sort of research paper.

Goten had claimed a corner of Gohan's desk. His tongue protruded from the corner of his mouth as he diligently worked at copying out his alphabet. Every now and then he stole a glance at Gohan then shifted his posture to mimic his older brother's.

Goku lay on his belly on the floor. There was an open book in front of him. He was doodling in the margins while his feet kicked boredly in the air.

"Hey guys," Bulma said.

Goku snapped his book closed with a sigh of relief. Goten and Gohan soon followed suit.

"Hey Bulma!" Goku greeted her cheerfully. "What's going on?"

As soon as Bulma explained about 'Geta being missing Goku volunteered to look for him. He put words into action before anyone else could offer an alternative suggestion. The others could only watch with bemusement as the window slammed shut behind Goku. "I can't believe you made Goku study," Bulma said as an aside to Chichi.

"It won't do him any harm," Chichi replied defensively.

"I'll run up to the Lookout and ask Dende if he can spot 'Geta," Gohan offered.

"Thanks," Bulma said.

"I'll be right back," Gohan promised. For him the Lookout was only a few minutes flight away. When he got back he looked worried. "Dende can't find him. I can't imagine anything on Earth that could hurt 'Geta without the rest of us sensing the fight so he must be hiding his ki. He's doing a really good job of it too considering he wasn't supposed to learn how to manipulate his power levels for another couple of decades."

"Vegeta always was a quick learner," Bulma said with a rueful grin.

"Both Dende and Piccolo promised to keep looking," Gohan said. "If he gets in trouble - or if anything happens - they'll be watching for it."

"Don't worry," Goten told Bulma comfortingly. "My Daddy's really good at finding people. He went right to our hiding places every single time he was 'It' when we were playin' Hide-n-Seek."

"Thanks guys," Bulma said. "It makes me feel a lot better to know that people are keeping an eye out for him."

* * *

"Hi," Goku announced himself. He walked up to a random police officer in a random town with a friendly smile on his face. "Could you help me?"

"Are you lost?" the officer asked kindly, mistaking Goku for a much younger child.

"Nope, but my friend is. He's a little bit shorter than me... or a little taller if you count his hair, which I don't, but he does. And he's got a tail like mine." Goku unwound his tail from around his waste to demonstrate what he meant.

The officer looked concerned. "How long has your friend been missing?"

"Hmmm, I didn't ask Bulma that. Is it important? Long enough for her to get worried I guess," Goku said.

"Has -um- Bulma filed a missing person's report?" the officer asked. "That's what you ought to do first. I could walk you home and help her get started with that."

Goku laughed. "We couldn't walk! She lives all the way on the other side of the planet. You have to fly, or swim. Swimming works but it takes longer than flying. I just started looking here because it's night there and everyone's asleep."

The police officer just blinked at Goku in disbelief.

"Well if you do see him, could you tell him I'm looking for him?" Goku asked. "He'll know how to find me. It's not like _I'm_hiding."

"Who should I tell him is looking?" the police officer mumbled. He was still trying to get his head around children who flew half-way around the globe to look for people.

"Son Goku. Thanks mister." Goku waved then jumped into the sky and headed for the next town.

Three days later Goku wasn't particularly surprised when he finished his spiel and glanced up to see an irrate-looking 'Geta glaring at him.

"Why are you following me?" 'Geta demanded.

"I wasn't following you," Goku objected. "I was looking for you."

'Geta rolled his eyes. "Same difference. _Why?_"

Goku thought for a moment. He scratched the back of his head then grinned innocently. "I forgot," he said. "Why did you take off?"

"I forgot," 'Geta replied, his tone deadpan.

Goku smiled. "Maybe if we go back it'll jog both of our memories."

"No!" 'Geta exclaimed quickly.

Goku shrugged. "I guess I'm not really in the mood to go back right now either," he said. "So where are we going?"

'Geta gritted his teeth. "Hide your ki moron," he snapped. "I don't know where we're going."

Goku grinned. "That's always the best way to get someplace neat."

* * *

'Geta was not a relaxing traveling companion as Goku quickly discovered. It wasn't that 'Geta' didn't talk much, although he didn't, after years of solitary wandering silence didn't bother Goku. It was that 'Geta was looking for something, even if he didn't know what it was. And he was looking over his shoulder even if he wouldn't say why. The two boys stayed on the move constantly even though they were severely hampered by 'Geta's insistence that they keep their ki hidden.

They ran for hundreds of miles every day and swam when they ran out of land. 'Geta was only willing to slacken the pace of their aimless wandering when Goku insisted that they stop to hunt for food.

As the days turned into weeks Goku felt as if 'Geta's restlessness was catching. He couldn't understand the other boy's paranoia but he shared 'Geta's urge to search for something, some place. As the urge grew stronger for Goku it became more defined. Gradually he directed their wandering further and further away from populated areas, toward deep wilderness reminiscent of the place where he'd grown up.

Goku sighed when the river bank they'd been following dead-ended at a massive waterfall. Sheer cliffs towered above them on three sides. Goku glanced at 'Geta and saw that the other boy had no more interest in back-tracking than he had. With a shrug Goku picked a likely looking spot and started to climb. After a moment 'Geta began his own accent.

It wasn't long before the boys' competitive natures asserted themselves and they were scrambling up the cliff as fast as they could go. They kept their ki completely repressed and relied only on the strength in their muscles, their balance and their dexterity to free climb the giant rock wall.

Spray from the waterfall kept the rocks wet, slick with moisture and overgrown with moss. 'Geta realized the outcropping he'd grabbed onto was nothing but lichen a moment too late. He was already in the middle of reaching for the next handhold when it crumbled. He fell with a curse. A split second later something wrapped around his wrist and he grabbed on tightly even as he sensed Goku's ki surging.

"Owiee!" Goku shouted as he used his tail to arrest 'Geta's fall.

"Moron! Your ki-" 'Geta complained.

"Fuss later, le'go of my tail now! " Goku requested tersely.

With a faint flash of embarrassment 'Geta reclaimed a position on the wall. "I could have caught myself," he said. "You shouldn't have given us away."

"Who cares if everyone knows where we are?" Goku demanded. "We'll just tell 'em we don't feel like goin' back."

"I don't wan to be found," 'Geta snarled angrily and resumed climbing.

"You don't have to be a grouch about it," Goku complained as he followed suit.

'Geta ignored the unspoken question as to why he didn't want to be found. He didn't want to talk about the possibility that his older counterpart was irredeemably evil. As he saw things, it stood to reason that if it were true for the older Vegeta it would be true of him as well. And 'Geta didn't want that possibility to occur to anyone else.

The boys finished the climb in silence. They found Piccolo waiting for them at the top.

"What do you two think you're doing worrying everyone like this?" Piccolo demanded. He took the same tone with the boys that he would have used for one of Trunks and Goten's stunts.

Goku's eyes widened in shock as he recognized the Namekian then they narrowed angrily. Piccolo had not only killed Goku's friends, he'd broken the Dragon in an attempt to prevent them from being wished back.

Piccolo watched the boy's reaction and felt the urge to slap himself. He'd forgotten that this Goku was in the middle of preparing to fight him.

'Geta instantly picked up on Goku's mood. Warily he fell into a fighting stance. He shifted slightly to distance himself from Goku so that they wouldn't get in each other's way if it came to a fight.

Goku was rapidly working through the implications of Piccolo being here, now. His friends were all well in this time. Piccolo wasn't ruling the world, therefore the fight waiting for him back in his time must have turned out okay. Even if he had, or was going to, win the fight Goku could sense that Piccolo had become mind-bogglingly strong during the intervening years. He glanced toward 'Geta, if he'd been on his own he might have risked finding out if he and Piccolo had ever become friends but he didn't want to chance having another friend die at Piccolo's hands. "Run!" he shouted.

Piccolo watched as the boys scattered. Their ki flared briefly as they put some fast distance between him and them then it vanished as they went into hiding. He sighed. 'They're alive and together,' he thought. 'If Gohan wants to know more than that he'll just have to search for them himself.' He marked the spot in his mind then took to the air.

It took Goku and 'Geta most of the day to meet up again. "Who was that?" 'Geta asked.

"Piccolo," Goku answered. "He's the one I'm going to fight when I get back to my right time." Goku looked pensive. "This is the first time, but, um, well I really hope he's not _quite_ that strong back home."

"I don't think he's as strong as a Super-Saiyan," 'Geta said. "But it's hard to tell. That much power makes my head hurt."

Goku nodded. "It's like touching a stove or putting your hand in a fire. I'm pretty sure one of 'em's hotter than the other but all my brain says when I do it is 'too hot!'"

"Only idiots stop training." 'Geta offered. "He's probably a lot stronger now that he was thirty some years ago. Anyway, I think we lost him. Let's get going."

* * *

Vegeta locked himself in the Gravity Room for three days after 'Geta's refusal to kill the Islanders.

The GR was his personal space. Bulma called it his 'comfort zone' when she wanted to irritate him, like most of their barbs it was the truth in it that made it sting. At a moderate setting the GR was where he thought best. At it's highest setting it was a way to not think at all. Training was a familiar routine that soothed his mind and settled his emotions. Three days of thinking and training didn't bring Vegeta any new answers this time, it only brought old realizations.

Vegeta had never feared physical pain. Physical injuries would kill him or they wouldn't. And if he survived he'd be stronger for the experience. With access to technology like the Regen Tanks he'd never worried about suffering a crippling injury.

Emotional pain on the other hand terrified him. In his experience wounds of that sort inevitably festered and ate away at a person. The damage left by being abandoned to Frieza's mercies by his father and the destruction of his home planet would never heal. Raditz had never recovered from the death of his lover, he'd sunken into bitterness and madness until everything he'd been before had been consumed by it. Because those wounds didn't heal Vegeta was extremely cautious about opening himself up to that sort of attack. He kept himself distant from others, held himself cold and closed and safe.

It had seemed like a flawless plan: care about nothing and nothing could hurt him. But Trunks and Bulma slipped inside and made themselves at home in his heart. It wasn't as if this was the first time that he'd realized what was happening. He'd realized it years ago, while Bulma had still been pregnant with Trunks. He'd tried to evict her from his heart back then. He'd even convinced himself that he'd succeeded. Then Cell killed the future Trunks and two truths had made themselves apparent: He had failed spectacularly at not caring about his child and his lover. And losing either of them would indisputably be another gapping wound which would never heal for him.

Bulma invited him back into her life after Cell's defeat and Vegeta had realized that there was no reason not to go with her. Leaving hadn't stopped him from caring about her and the boy. Physical distance wouldn't keep him from hurting if they were hurt. There was no reason not to enjoy being with them. And good reason to stay close: Leaving a vulnerability undefended was the height of stupidity.

Now, seven years later, nothing had changed. He could recognize that he'd gone soft. He could want to be evil again as much as he liked. He could want to stop caring, he still didn't know how. He didn't know how to keep his younger counterpart alive. He didn't know how to fix himself. In the end he came back to the same realization he'd had years ago: His fate was sealed, so why not enjoy the ride for as long as possible before the crash?

"Are you okay?" Bulma asked the first time she caught him alone after he left the GR.

"It's nothing I can change," Vegeta told her sourly.

"Vegeta-chan?" Bulma asked.

The boy was part of it, the part he could talk to Bulma about. Vegeta inclined his head slightly.

"Is it your past that you can't change, or his future?" Bulma pushed.

"Given a few more months my counter-part and Kakarrot's will be stronger than Gohan in his un-ascended state," Vegeta paused. "But they still won't be able to ascend to Super-Saiyan."

"That doesn't make sense," Bulma said.

"Demi-Saiyans have a lower threshold, they can achieve a much greater power-boost through their emotions," Vegeta explained. "Apparently being human is good for something after all."

The look Bulma sent him said that she was only letting hat slide because she could see he was in a foul mood.

"He won't defeat Frieza without being Super Saiyan," Vegeta said.

"Why don't we keep him here?" Bulma suggested. "He doesn't have to go back to Frieza."

"It's his responsibility to see Frieza defeated!" Vegeta snapped. "I won't tolerate a reality in which Frieza is left alive!"

"So what? You said it yourself: he can't beat Frieza. So Frieza stays alive until he comes to Earth, then Goku or Trunks kills him just like here. So what?"

"I know you have a brain, try to use it," Vegeta suggested angrily. "Their time-line has been changed, will change even more if I'm not there. And how exactly will Trunks exist there if the boy doesn't return?" he asked sarcastically.

Bulma bit her lip, in her desire to see the younger Vegeta protected she'd forgotten about the boy's time-line.

"As for trusting Kakarrot, there is no guarantee that Frieza will_ ever _cross his path. Seeing that Frieza is destroyed is _not_ Kakarrot or Trunks' reason for being, it is _**mine**_!"

"Alright," Bulma said quietly. "So what are you going to do?"

Vegeta gritted his teeth and walked away rather than admitting that he didn't know.

* * *

The instant Goku saw the isolated mountain valley he knew he'd found what they were looking for. There was a stream for water and fishing. There was plenty of game judging by the tracks leading down to the water. And there was a cave for shelter. It was a good place to stop; it made the restlessness inside his head go still.

'It's a good thing we found it now,' Goku thought as he stole a quick glance at 'Geta. For the last few days 'Geta's movements had been getting increasingly stiff and painful looking.

Goku sighed. Sometimes he wished that 'Geta was less secretive. He was sure that 'Geta had a reason for not wanting anyone to know where they were but he wouldn't say what it was. He was pretty sure 'Geta had some idea of why he was acting sore when they hadn't been training hard enough to explain that sort of pain but every time Goku asked 'Geta just snapped at him. 'Doesn't he understand that it _bothers_ me to see him hurting? He's my friend, why is that so hard for him to get?' Goku wondered.

While the valley settled Goku instantly 'Geta was less sure about it. Despite his steadily increasing joint pain he spent the first few days exploring the valley extensively. He checked for escape routes. He found good spots to set ambushes and laid traps for anyone who might be following them. He spent several hours arguing with Goku about how they ought to dig out a second exit to the cave but Goku turned decidedly stubborn. Goku insisted that a hole would make their nice warm cave into a chilly wind tunnel.

While 'Geta indulged his paranoid tendencies Goku dug large, smooth stones out of the river. He used them to build a rudimentary oven. He cut some of the long grasses which grew in the valley then left the hay to dry in the sun so they could use it for bedding later on. He chopped firewood and put together a bucket for hauling water. He built a lean to over the mouth of the cave and generally prepared the valley as a long term camp site.

Goku couldn't have said how he knew that they needed a place to hole up but he rarely had reason to mistrust his instincts.

* * *

"Mom, Bulma, they're fine," Gohan repeated. He sounded somewhat frustrated. "I don't know why they're trying not to be found, I don't know why they would want to skewer anyone following them but they're not in trouble and they're not causing trouble... As long as you don't try to get too close to them and their stupid traps. And I have enough other things to worry about."

"What other things?" Chichi pounced.

Gohan suddenly looked nervous. "You know, school... and things."

"You're having problems in school?" Chichi exclaimed. "I knew I didn't make you study enough when you were younger!"

"No Mom," Gohan sighed. "I'm not having problems with school work. I just, well, it's hard to figure out my classmates. They don't make any sense! Sometimes I think maybe people like me and they're my friends but if they finds out about, you know..."

Chichi gave her son a interrogative look.

"Saiyaman, Saiyans, the Cell games, what I can do. You know, everything!" Gohan clarified. "I don't know what she'll do if she finds out. And she won't quit poking around! She's going to find out! What if she _hates_ me?!"

Bulma giggled. "Little Gohan has girl problems," she whispered to Chichi.

"Who is SHE?" Chichi asked eagerly. "When are you going to bring her out to meet your family?"

Gohan flushed then went pale. "No one!" he squeaked.

* * *

'Geta stood as straight and tall as he could with his back to a tree trunk. He reached up above his head and felt for the point where his hair ended. Then he scored the tree trunk with his fingernail to mark that spot. 'Geta turned around and examined the tree trunk with pleasure. The new mark was clearly several inches higher than the mark he'd made a week ago. He was getting taller!

"What are ya doing?" Goku asked.

'Geta flushed and tried to cover up the marks. "It's none of your business," he snapped.

Goku rolled his eyes. "It's your turn to cook tonight. What should we hunt?"

"What does it matter? Whatever we find first. No matter what it is I'm going to stick it on a spit and roast it," 'Geta said.

"Boring," Goku sighed. "You could try different stuff."

'Geta made a face. "Like a few days ago when that _stuff_ you used for _flavor_ made us both sick?"

"You never find new things to eat if you don't try stuff," Goku said with a shrug.

"No bugs, no strange plants," 'Geta said. "Anything else we catch, I'm roasting."

* * *

Videl stood in front of the mirror in her bedroom.

"Daddy, you remember how I always wanted to learn the flying trick? Well I found someone to teach me. And it turns out that it's not really a trick. And people _can_ blow things up just by pointing at them... Daddy, did you lie about what happened at the Cell Games?"

Videl groaned. "I can't ask him that! How can I even think that? If Daddy lied about that, then this," her gesture encompassed her whole life. "Then it's all a lie. If he lied about that... Is anything real?"

"We'll just go to the tournament and Daddy'll win against Gohan. His ego will get even more bloated than it is now but I'll know he didn't lie to me."

"And what if Gohan wins?" a little voice whispered in the back of Videl's head.

"He won't win!" Videl snapped.

* * *

"Owie! Owie! When's it gonna stop!" Goku complained loudly.

"Would you shut-up?" 'Geta snapped. "I feel exactly the same but I'm not whinning!"

"But I grew twice as much as you did this week," Goku pointed out.

'Geta crossed his arms sulkily and huffed "Suffer in silence!"

* * *

**Author's Note: **I know it's more like twenty years between the 23rd World Tournament and the Saiyaman saga. 'Geta's judging the elapse by looking at his counterpart's age. He doesn't really realize that he's been brought further forward than Goku was. 


	9. CrossRoads

**Choice to be Different**

**Disclaimer:**Premise and characters belong to Akira Toriyama, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

**Chapter Nine: **Cross-roads

* * *

'Geta and Goku sat on the banks of the stream that ran through the valley they'd been inhabiting for the last few months. Both boy had traded their compact child-forms for gangly adolescence. They were too tall for their weight and struggling to adjust to limbs that were suddenly longer than they were used to. But the day was sunny and warm, the fish were biting and even considering growth pains life was good.

Goku let the tip of his tail dangle in the water in place of a fishing line.

'Geta ambled upstream in search of his own fishing spot. He stretched and let the warm sun bake some of the soreness out of his muscles. 'Geta didn't enjoy the growth pains anymore than Goku did, but he had to admit that his primary growth phase had turned out to be something of a reprieve. The Dragon Balls should have regenerated several months ago, it was past time for them to go back to their real lives... But he wasn't going to go searching the globe for a bunch of wish-granting balls when there were mornings when all he wanted to do was curl up in a ball and whine about the pain in his joints. As for going back, that simply wasn't happening until he was back in fighting form. Even so he couldn't put off going back forever. In just another three months they'd be done growing and he'd either have to go back or find another reason to delay.

'Geta didn't doubt what his older counterpart had said about him not being strong enough to face Frieza yet. Even though he'd have his full height in a few more months he knew he'd be in his early twenties before his muscle-mass filled out completely. Raditz was eighteen and he was still in the process of filling out.

'Geta didn't want to believe what his older counterpart had said about what he'd do to Raditz and Appura. He didn't want to believe that but he did. His counterpart was right, he couldn't go back to Frieza. He'd experienced something better and he couldn't go back to that life. The question was what was he going to do about it.

A year wasn't enough time to prepare for Frieza. So what was he going to do.

* * *

Thousands of miles away that same sun shown down on the 25th Tenkaichi Budoukai.

No tournament took place without a few behind the scenes catastrophes but in the opinion of the officials this one was cursed. First every camera on the entire island blew up. Tournaments had been held without being televised before and so they forged onward. Even if the reigning champion and savior of the world wasn't happy about it.

Then the punching machine broke before they were even half-way through the prelims. They barely managed to get the back-up calibrated before the Junior Tournament ended. They should have been _done_ with the prelims by then, everything was behind schedule. Also the scores of the last group who'd been tested on the original machine were suspect. After careful consideration the tournament officials decided to let the scores stand. They were behind schedule, asking that bunch to retest would only hold things up more. As for Contest 88... well they didn't exactly have a score recorded for him but the unanimous decision was to declare him a qualifier, punching machines weren't cheap after all. It wasn't that they were afraid to ask him to retest... honestly.

There was a minor issue with needing to restock the kitchens.

The tournament officials breathed a sigh of relief when the final sixteen competitors began their matches without any further incidents. It turned out that they'd relaxed too soon. In the third match Videl Satan, Mr. Satan's beloved daughter and the darling of Satan City, took a brutal beating at the hands of her opponent. That disaster was quickly followed up by over half the remaining competitors walking, or flying to be more precise, out on the tournament.

What else could go wrong today?

* * *

Across a narrow sea and a mountain range, in a rocky valley west of the Tournament Island Vegeta doubled over in agony.

"Fight it!" "Give in to it." The Supreme Kai and the Wizard Bobbidi were both shouting orders at him. Vegeta ignored them. He was Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans, he took orders from no one.

Darkness lapped at his mind and whispered to him.

"_No you don't Kakarrot! We have a duel to fight!"_

"_What?! This is no time to be-" _

"_Don't even try to run out on me!"_ 1

His last chance to prove himself slipping away.

"_Hey guess what!! Son-kun defeated Frieza!!"_ 2

It should have been his vengeance.

_Kakarrot, standing there with gold hair and strange light eyes, wreathed in a tangible aura of power; a Super Saiyan. The legendary made flesh._

It should have been him.

He was always one step behind. In spite of his heritage, in spite of his determination and all of his effort he was never more than second best.

This was his last chance.

'Assuming you still want it,' the darkness whispered mockingly.

"_Don't feel too bad. My boy just comes from better stock." __1__ He slapped Kakarrot on the shoulder in an almost friendly gesture._

For a moment he had been no different from any other parent in that stadium. Bragging on his child, exchanging jibes with a friendly rival.

He would have been satisfied to have his rematch against Kakarrot under tournament rules. With ring-outs and in a place where they would have had to restrict their powers to a mere trickle to avoid causing collator damage.

"_The only reason I came to this infantile game was to settle with you one-on-one!" __1_

'But Kakarrot will never fight you seriously unless you become the villain again.'

He would never be strong again. Not so long as he allowed himself to be distracted by things like his family and the fate of the world.

This was what he wanted, what he'd been seeking. Vegeta stopped resisting and let the darkness take him.

* * *

Bulma knew something was wrong the instant Vegeta and the others reappeared in the tournament ring. It wasn't just the ugly 'M' tattooed on Vegeta's forehead either. It was the way he held himself. It was the way his gaze fixated on Goku as if nothing else was real to him. She hadn't seen that obsessed look in his eyes for so many years. Bulma had believed that the person with those eyes had died on Namek. It was her Vegeta that the Dragon Balls had revived, not this one. How could he be standing there looking like that again?

Even though Bulma could see that Vegeta had changed it still caught her by surprise when his first blast ripped through the stands scattering bodies like confetti.

She could see Vegeta and Goku talking but she couldn't hear them. The screams of terror as the rest of the audience tried to flee were too loud. She needed to hear, she needed to understand.

Casually Vegeta blasted the crowd again. This time it was so close Bulma felt the heat and debris from the explosion wash over her. Yamcha pushed her back out of the path of a splintered 2x4.

Then Vegeta, Goku and the others were gone again. There were no answers just the destruction, the corpses Vegeta had left in his wake. Proof enough that this was more than some horrible nightmare.

"We have to get the Dragon Balls," Bulma said feverishly. "We have to undo this."

'If I erase the evidence maybe it won't be real,' she thought.

* * *

As Goku readied himself for the fight Vegeta's words echoed in his mind.

"_If I hadn't, I'd never get to fight you. After today you're leaving this world forever."_

"_Insane?! You think this is 'insane'?! Who cares about Boo?!! This is what I live for!! He surpassed me! He's Saiyan just like me, but he far outstripped me!! ME - the prince!! The strongest of them all! Once... he even saved my life! I can't stand it! I can't!"__3_

Goku was upset with Vegeta for forcing this fight now but he was even more angry with himself for not dealing with this sooner. Vegeta had been friendly at the tournament. If they'd fought then it would have been fun. Now, with Bobbidi influencing Vegeta's mind, the fight was going to be ugly. "I don't want to get hurt and give Boo any energy. I'm going to end this quickly, at full power," he said.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the fruits of your training in the Afterlife..."3 Vegeta replied.

Goku surpassed the first Super Saiyan limit but he couldn't bring himself to go to the third level even thought he'd told Vegeta he'd fight at full power. It would burn up too much of his time on Earth and Gohan might still need help.

"Pretty good. You're stronger than Gohan,"3 Vegeta acknowledged.

Goku grimaced he knew that Gohan didn't enjoy fighting the way he did but Gohan could have maintained his training a _little_.

Then Vegeta powered up.

"I guess this won't be so quick..."3 Goku admitted.

"Come on!! I'll kill you!!" 3 Vegeta challenged.

Goku couldn't help it. He knew this was not the time. He knew that he and Vegeta were feeding Boo the power he needed. He couldn't help it, he loved fighting against Vegeta.

When they broke apart they were both grinning. The second time they paused both were panting for breath.

"Unbelievable... I thought I trained so hard in the Afterlife... But we're dead even... You must've trained harder than I did..."3 Goku wanted to recognize how far Vegeta had come since the Cell Games. He hoped that by talking he could reach the Vegeta he'd seen at the Tournament. Their mutual joy in battle seemed to be loosening Bobbidi's hold on Vegeta's emotions.

"No... I thought I did, but you're more gifted than me... I could never make up the difference between us... I finally saw this when you fought Bobbidi's monster... It was a huge blow... That's why I made up my mind..."

"So that's it!! You got Bobbidi to..."

"Yeah... At the Tournament the guys who'd known Bobbidi's minions mentioned they'd gotten stronger... I thought... maybe it would close the difference between us... if I let him control me... And I was right... though I hated what I had to stoop to..."

"Your pride let him control you... Just to get stronger?"3 Goku felt disappointed. Disappointed in Vegeta for choosing this route. Since Namek he'd always held the other Saiyan in the highest regard. But this...

The look on Goku's face forced the full truth out of Vegeta. "I... I... I wanted to be the way I used to be!!! I wanted to be the ruthless and cold-blooded Saiyan!! To fight it out with you - not caring about anything else!! I hated how your influence was making me softer... less aggressive. I got myself a family... And it wasn't so awful... I even started to like the comfortable life on Earth... That's why I needed to be evil again! Thanks to Bobbidi... I finally feel strong again!"3

Goku's earlier disappointment was replaced with a deep sadness. He was sad that Vegeta was so afraid of being happy. Sad that even after so many years Vegeta still couldn't understand that emotions could be a source of strength rather than a weakness. Vegeta still didn't understand that you fought harder when you had something to lose.

Goku felt sad that they couldn't have fought like this; all out, to the best of their abilities just for the hell of it. That Vegeta didn't realize they could fight like this just for the thrill of it, without _either_ of them wanting to kill the other.

'I should have let Gohan deal with Bobbidi from the first,' Goku thought. 'I'm dead, this isn't my world anymore and I only made things worse by getting involved. If not for me Vegeta wouldn't be doing this; feeding Boo all this power. But maybe...'

* * *

Kakarrot wouldn't let it go. He kept harping on the damned genie instead of focusing on the fight.

And now Vegeta could sense Trunks and Goten's ki. Naturally the brats were flying straight for the Djinn... 'Not that I care,' Vegeta reminded himself.

"But everybody will be killed!! Everybody!! Even Bulma and Trunks!!"4 Why couldn't Kakarrot let it go?

"Sh-shut up! Shut up, shut up!!"4 It was all for nothing if he still cared. "I sold my soul to Bobbidi to eliminate this _compassion_!! I don't _care_ what happens to anyone!!"

"That's a lie... You didn't sell your love for them..."4

And Vegeta knew Kakarrot was right. Trunks was much too close to that damned genie and he did care. Gohan hadn't really trained in far too long, Vegeta couldn't trust him to handle things. "... Fine... We'll put this off... since you can't focus with Boo out there."4

It was much too late to just be realizing that Bobbidi hadn't taken his emotions after all. Vegeta didn't want to even think about what he'd see in Bulma's eyes after she'd watched him off-handedly kill several hundred of her fellow humans.

"I can't focus?" Kakarrot muttered to himself.

"Give me a senzu. We've both used up a lot of energy." Vegeta ordered.

"Sure!" Kakarrot was always so trusting, turning his back as he dug about for one of the magical beans. "We can beat him if we work together!"4

Vegeta slammed his joined fists into the base of Kakarrot's skull and the younger Saiyan dropped like a stone. Vegeta shook his head at Kakarrot's foolishness. "Even you can be vulnerable when you're off guard."

Vegeta picked up the senzu bean Kakarrot had dropped and ate it. His strength returned with a rush.

"_I_ let him loose - so _I'll_ take care of him!"4 And maybe Bulma would forgive him if he fixed his own mistake.

Kakarrot was right about there being something abnormal about Boo's ki, and that ki was huge now.

"We'll settle this later... If I come back alive."4 And if he didn't he wouldn't have to worry about looking into Bulma's eyes and seeing revulsion or fear there. Either way he wouldn't allow anyone else to pay for his mistake.

But even that resolve came too late. Before Vegeta could return to the ship he sensed Gohan's ki as it disappeared. Vegeta felt a wave of regret and sorrow come over him. It was a pale shadow of the madness inducing grief he'd felt when Mirai-Trunks had died at Cell's hands but it served as a reminder. It tempered his resolve to see Boo destroyed, no matter what it took, before he could do anymore harm. And the regret he felt at Gohan's loss made Vegeta realize he'd been wrong all along.

For so long his worst fear had been 'what will happen to me if I lose Bulma or Trunks.' He'd worked to rid himself of those feelings which he believed made him weak. But what would happen to him wasn't the important thing at all. To lose them and feel nothing would be beyond monstrous.

Trunks was so close to the Djinn now. Vegeta embraced the horror he felt as the danger Trunks was putting himself in. He couldn't lose now, Trunks and Bulma were counting on him to win...

* * *

Goku-chan paced restlessly around the valley despite the lingering pain in his joints. "Vegeta's dead," he exclaimed. "Gohan's dead. We have to do something!"

"What the hell can _we_ do against something that killed Gohan and Vegeta-jiji?" 'Geta demanded.

"I don't know!" Goku shouted. "But look at what he's doing! He's destroying whole cities looking for Trunks and Goten!"

"And they are hiding! What does that tell you?" 'Geta snapped. "The brats are stronger than us and they're hiding. What the _hell_ are we supposed to accomplish by charging out there and getting ourselves killed?"

"I don't know!"

"I can't die now! I have to kill Frieza first. Isn't it the same for you? Isn't there someone back your right time who you have to beat?" Vegeta reminded Goku.

Goku resumed his agitated pacing.

It wasn't long before the wizard Bobbidi invaded their minds again. //Warn us?! Hehe-heh! How funny! I must let the rest of Earth listen in on this"//

//The ones you're looking for will show themselves! I promise!//5

"Hey, that's me," Goku-chan exclaimed.

"I thought you were dead in this time," 'Geta said.

"I am, don't you see the halo?" Goku-chan replied.

"He's the most lively looking dead person I've ever seen," 'Geta stated.

//I wanted to teach you about Super Saiyans...//5 Goku said.

'Geta's attention snapped back to the drama Bobbidi was broadcasting.

//So... This is normal. This is Super Saiyan. And this is the Super Saiyan level beyond that. Super Saiyan two, I guess.// Goku explained as he demonstrated each level. //...And then... this... is the next level up!//5

"What is he?" 'Geta whispered as the entire Earth trembled beneath Goku's power.

Goku-chan just shook his head. He was too stunned to speak.

The boys watched with shock and awe as Boo and SSJ3 Goku battled viciously. Then suddenly Goku dropped back to his base state. //Bobbidi, the ones you're looking for will come in three... no, two days. Just wait. Stop this killing. Just wait two days, okay?//5

"See," 'Geta said. "They don't need us and we couldn't have helped anyway."

Grudgingly Goku-chan nodded. But he remained restless. A short while later he glanced up. "Boo isn't waiting. He's killing people again."

"So what?" 'Geta demanded. "We can't change that."

"Didn't you hear Old-Me?" Goku exclaimed. "We don't have to win the fight! We just have to delay Boo." And with that Goku took off flying toward the Djinn's ki.

Reluctantly 'Geta followed him. "Why do we have to get killed distracting him? He's happy wasting his time blowing up cities. You and I have more important things to do than dying here!"

"The others will wish us back after its over," Goku replied calmly.

"Why not let them wish the humans back?" 'Geta demanded.

Goku stopped in mid-air and turned back to face his friend. " 'Geta, they don't _know_about the Dragon Balls!" he exclaimed. "They're scared! That's why they were tellin' that Bobbidi guy stuff about Trunks and Goten. People do bad stuff when they're scared! I don't want them to be scared!"

"And you don't want them to live with the knowledge of the evil they're capable of when pushed to extremes." 'Geta sighed. "Fine, let's do it."

Goku nodded and took off again. Several minutes later he paused. "Old-me is gone," he said solemnly.

'Geta nodded. "His power had been dropping ever since the fight with Boo. He must have been injured."

"Yeah," Goku said. "I know."

"We won't be much of delay if we fight nice," 'Geta said. "And right now we're not going to be much of a fight for anyone unless we use our Oozaru states. The Growth Phase doesn't effect them."

Goku grimaced but he didn't disagree. They were weaker than all of the z-fighters Boo had killed thus far.

"We ambush him," 'Geta proposed. "Two on one, no hesitation. We aren't going to be able to kill him but anything we can do to hurt him, we do."

"All right," Goku agreed.

* * *

The city was empty of life, everyone was dead. "Boo bored. No one left to play 'kill the human' with." The bloby pink genie pouted with a child-like scowl. After a moment he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Then he paced back and forth a few times. Finally his arms flew up in triumph. "Oh well, Boo just go to new city!"

A ball of pure white ki appeared in the sky. "What that?" Boo wondered.

Twin roars split the air. The buildings on either side of Boo toppled to make room for two giant apes.

Boo stared up at the towering creatures. "You big! Strong fighters Boo was promised?"

The Oozaru on Boo's left wore a navy blue body suit and armor that had somehow managed to expand with the body inside it. 'Geta drove his fist into Boo. He smashed the Djinn flat as well as putting a four foot deep crater in the asphault.

Boo leaked out of the cracks around 'Geta's knuckles and reformed. "You not nice. You try to hurt Boo! Boo make you candy!"

Agilely 'Geta leapt out of the path of Boo's magic beam. Goku swatted Boo to the ground. Before Boo could recover 'Geta grabbed the Djinn with both monstrous hands and ripped him in apart. 'Geta tossed the two pieces in opposite directions then sent his most powerful ki attacks after them.

The two pieces of Boo quickly reformed into two smaller but whole Boos. Each half-Boo swatted 'Geta's blasts away.

Goku leapt at one of the half Boos, covering the distance in a stride. The Oozaru's vocal cords were incapable of human speech but the motions of the Kame-Hame-Ha were clearly recognizable. He released the attack from point blank range.

The half-Boo frowned at the whole in his center with mild annoyance.

* * *

All over the Lookout the Z-Fighters stopped what they were doing.

"Who's that?" Yamcha asked as two new ki's flared brightly in opposition to Boo.

"Tien and Chaotzu, maybe?" Kuririn said uncertainly.

"They're too evenly matched," Master Roshi said slowly, the pieces falling into place in his mind.

Trunks and Goten exchanged a look. "It's 'Geta and Goku," Trunks said. "Well, Goku-chan I mean.

"Huh?" Yamcha said.

"We have to stop them!" Piccolo exclaimed. "Their assistance later could be invaluable!"

"I'll go," Kuririn volunteered quickly. "You're the only one left who can teach the boys Fusion, you can't get anywhere near Boo," he told Piccolo.

" 'Geta? Goku-chan?" Yamcha asked.

Videl shrugged, she didn't know either.

"It's been over a year now," Roshi commented to Bulma. "When I didn't see them with you at the Tournament I assumed they'd been wished back to their own times... I should have realized otherwise when we used the Dragon Ball to bring back the people Vegeta killed."

"What is everyone talking about?" Yamcha demanded.

"The short version: Trunks and Goten wished for fifteen-year-old versions of their fathers for playmates," Bulma explained. "Vegeta-chan, well, basically he ran away from home several months ago."

Yamcha glanced toward Trunks then whispered, "You've been letting Vegeta, a fifteen-year-old Vegeta wander around Earth? Have you lost you mind!? Did you completely forget that he kills people for fun?"

Bulma glared at Yamcha. "Vegeta-chan isn't a bad kid! You don't even know him! You won't believe it but he's actually the one who ends up playing peacemaker when Trunks forgets that Goku's more independent-minded than Goten."

"You're right," Yamcha said. "I don't believe it."

"Goku-chan went after Vegeta-chan," Chichi contributed. "We didn't leave him completely unsupervised."

"That's a relief," Yamcha said.

"Goku-chan was supposed to bring him back," Chichi continued. "Instead they both went into hiding. Gohan and Piccolo-san managed to locate them._They_ decided it was best to leave the two of them alone."

"I think Vegeta was pushing too hard about training," Bulma commented. "I'm sure he and Vegeta-chan got into some sort of fight and that's why Vegeta-chan ran away."

Bulma glanced toward the horizon. "When the Dragon Balls regenerated and they still didn't come home it was a relief. I want Vegeta-chan to stay here. I don't want him to go back to Frieza."

Roshi frowned. "Are you sure that's wise? Without the threat of Vegeta's arrival Goku wouldn't have trained with King Kai, Piccolo wouldn't have trained Gohan. There wouldn't have been anyone to step in and save Kuririn and Gohan from the Ginyu force on Namek."

"We wouldn't have ever gone to Namek," Bulma pointed out.

"And we never would have met Dende. When Piccolo and Kami-sama fused who would have stepped in as the Earth's Kami? Without Vegeta there would have been no Trunks, no one to warn us about the Androids."

"I know!" Bulma exclaimed, her voice anguished. "But how can I send him back when I know he's being abused there?"

The half shocked, half disbelieving looks on Roshi and Yamcha's faces made Bulma slap her hand over her mouth as if to put that word back. 'Abused' was one of those words Vegeta would never tolerate being used in conjunction with himself. But Bulma couldn't call it anything else. Martial Arts training, no matter how intense, didn't result in weekly hospitalizations. Not even if you had access to something like the Regen Tanks which could seem to make near fatal injures vanish in a matter of hours.

The thought of Vegeta's probable reaction to what she'd said was quickly followed by a renewed realization of Vegeta's death. Bulma's eyes filled with tears. Chichi wrapped her arm around Bulma's shoulders and led her inside after glaring at Roshi and Yamcha as if they were to blame for her tears.

While Yamcha was being brought up to date on Vegeta-chan and Goku-chan's visit to the future, 18 turned to Piccolo. "What point is served by rescuing those two?" she asked.

Goten gave her a dark look but after a small grimace Trunks nodded in agreement. "It's not like they can help. They're not even as strong as you are, Piccolo." He turned to Goten. "We could wish them back with everyone else, like my grandparents."

"They might not be the strongest, but, from what I saw, they are your approximate size," Piccolo said. "I am uncertain as to how far we can stretch Fusion's requirement of matched ki. However, from what Goku told us about this technique two fused beings can fuse with each other. If it is possible for you and Goten to fuse with your time-displaced fathers before fusing with each other..."

"We don't need them," Trunks argued.

"They may not have much power in comparison to you or Goten but the two of you have never been in a life or death battle before. Their experience could be invaluable."

* * *

Down on the planet below the two Oozaru Saiyans continued their battle against Boo. Nothing they did had any lasting impact on the Djinn and their escapes were becoming increasingly narrow as they tired.

Goku paused to help 'Geta free himself from a thick band of Boo that the Djinn was using to strangle the Saiyan Prince. Boo took advantage of Goku's moment of distraction and fired a replica of Vegeta's Gallic Gun.

'Geta saw the attack over Goku's shoulder and tried to throw them both out of the way. He didn't quite manage it. Goku's shoulder took the brunt of the blast. He screamed in shock and pain as his arm was ripped away.

'Geta jumped on Boo, once again attempting to use his Oozaru form's massive size to crush the Djinn. As Boo oozed out of the crater 'Geta grabbed the reforming Djinn and began ripping him into pieces. He tossed each piece into the air as he tore them off and sent the most powerful ki-blast he was capable of after them. Normally 'Geta reduced the power of the individual blasts when he used a barrage attack, but this time he went all out each time.

When it was done, 'Geta stood there scanning the skies. Every time he saw a bit of Boo reforming he blasted it again. As his ki reserves were depleted the false moon waned and 'Geta shrank back into his natural form. Shaking with exhaustion, 'Geta dredged up ki-blast after ki-blast. When he was completely spent he crashed to his knees and watched helplessly as Boo pulled himself back together.

Boo marched up to 'Geta and scowled at the boy. Steam shot out of his head. "You bad! You hurt Boo!"

'Geta smiled. "Glad to hear it, you repulsive abomination." He swayed weakly. "I wish I could hurt you much, much more. I wish I could kill you, you disgusting freak."

"Boo hurt _you_ more!" Boo declared as his eyes narrowed nastily. "Hurt you most!" He doubled up his fists and struck 'Geta with all his immense strength. The blow decapitated the boy, killing him instantly.

A short distance away Goku took a deep breath and bit his lip. He remembered 'Geta using his ki to roast meat and used a similar blast to cauterize the gapping wound where his arm had been. His eyes shown with determination as he turned to face Boo.

* * *

Kuririn started down at the two boys' mangled corpses in anguish. Once again they were too late and helpless before Boo. Gohan, Vegeta, Goku and now these two all gone. It was all down to Trunks and Goten now.

After several moments' hesitation Kuririn moved the bodies to a sheltered nitch then turned back toward the Look-Out. It wouldn't do their families any good to see them like that.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hopefully I put in enough interpretation of the scenes from the "Boo Saga" to make them worth including (and hopefully it wasn't too terribly off g ). Having my story actually intersect with cannon is always a little awkward for me, I'm always undecided about how much I should condense since we already know the story and how much I should include to show that the intersection happened and that the characters have changed due to that. Hopefully the balance worked.

I want to properly cite the direct quotes beyond the general disclaimer at the top:

Toriyama, Akira, _Shonen Jump Manga_, "Dragon Ball" g 1984, Bird Studio, Printed in the USA, 2003-2006, Viz Media,

1: DBZ Viz Manga Vol. 21

2: DBZ Viz Manga 12

3: DBZ Viz Manga 22

4: DBZ Viz Manga 23

5: DBZ Viz Manga 24


	10. Point of No Return

**Choice to be Different**

**Chapter 10: **Point of No Return

**Disclaimer:**Characters and Premise are the creation of Akira Toriyama, I'm just borrowing them for some non-profit fun.

* * *

'Geta blinked. He stood up and looked around. "We're not dead anymore," he said.

"I told you not to worry," Goku-chan replied. All the same his own expression showed relief as he ran his fingers over his arm and found it was there and in working order again. "Trunks and Goten's plan must have worked."

//People of Earth, can you hear me?//1

"Hey that's Vegeta-jiji," Goku exclaimed.

//Right now a warrior risks his life against Boo to save you. But the situation is grim. Boo is far stronger even than Cell.//1

"Who?" Goku wondered.

"Quiet," 'Geta snapped.

//We nee your help! Raise your hands to the sky!//1

Goku and 'Geta did as they were told and a short while later they felt their energy being drawn away.

After a few more pleas for assistance, from the older Goku then from someone called Mr. Satan, the rest of the people on Earth followed suit and Boo was defeated.

"Everyone's headed for Kami's Look-Out," Goku said. He cocked his head to one side as his sense tracked the other fighter's ki. "We should go too. I want to see that everyone's okay."

"No," 'Geta said reflexively, but once he said it he was determined not to take it back. "I went along with your stupid 'let's get killed' plan. Now we're going back and we're staying hidden until this damned Growth Phase is done with."

Goku turned large puppy-dog eyes on 'Geta. "Could we just stop by and say 'hi'? Come on, we'll go right past the Look-Out."

"You look even more like an idiot than normal when you do that. It's completely un-Saiyan," 'Geta declared. Still he knew his counterpart had been fighting to protect the Earth, had even died to do so. 'Geta wondered if that morning over the island had been some sort of temporary insanity. Maybe he wasn't really evil.

"Come on 'Geta," Goku whined.

'I do want to know what changed with the older Vegeta,' 'Geta thought. 'And it would be good to see Trunks, Goten and everyone again.'

"It's just staying 'hi', no where near as big a deal as getting killed," Goku continued.

'Geta snorted at the absurdity of comparing the two situations. "Fine, just stop whining about it," 'Geta surrendered.

They arrived at the Look-Out just in time for the older Goku's explanation of how the Boo they'd brought back from the Supreme Kai's planet wasn't evil. Once that was settled 'Geta and Goku-chan became the center of attention.

"Look at you two!" Bulma exclaimed. "You've gotten so tall."

"And skinny," Chichi added worriedly. "You need to eat more. Where have you two been?!"

The two boys exchanged an uncertain glance. "Around," 'Geta stated. His tone made it clear that he had no intension of getting more specific.

Goku leaned over and whispered to Chichi, "He looks like me." He nodded toward Goku-chan. "Do we have three sons?"

"He is you," Chichi explained. "Trunks and Goten 'borrowed' Bulma-san's Dragon Ball Radar. We haven't had a chance to send them back yet."

"Oh! And we used up all the wishes for another six-months," Goku said. He scratched the back of his head. "Sorry guys, I guess you're stuck here for a while longer."

"It's okay," Goku-chan replied. "Bulma explained how being missing for a year doesn't matter since we're in the wrong time. A year and a half shouldn't matter any more than a year. Besides, I don't think I could train very well right now." He stretched and grimaced. "Too sore."

'Geta nodded. "We were heading back to where we were anyway."

"You two aren't going anywhere," Chichi said quickly. "Look at you! You obviously aren't taking care of yourselves properly."

"Well... We could probably stay for lunch..." Goku-chan suggested with a hopeful glance toward 'Geta.

The promise of food was a powerful temptation for any Saiyan. "Just lunch," 'Geta agreed. "Then we have to go."

"Why?" Chichi demanded. "What are you hiding from?"

Reflexively 'Geta stole a quick glance at Vegeta.

"I'm not hiding from anything in particular," Goku-chan said honestly enough. He glanced around at everyone. "It's just, having everyone around is making me feel twitchy. It feels better being off on my own, like when I was a little kid."

Goku nodded. "I remember that. When I was training with Kami-sama. I just didn't want to be up here anymore. He told me it was okay to train on my own for a while. Only I grew instead of training for the first season or so after I left."

"Let them go where they like," Vegeta said, not looking at anyone. "It's less stressful for them if they feel secure while they're in their Growth Phase."

Chichi looked at the boys skeptically. It was obvious she didn't think that they knew what was best for them.

Bulma stole a sad glance at Vegeta, guessing that Frieza had made the phase absolutely miserable for him. "You're sure you wouldn't feel more comfortable staying with us?" she asked the teenaged Saiyans.

'Geta's gaze flickered nervously between the top Z-fighters. It was clear that the boy couldn't trust the good intentions of anyone stronger than he was.

Goku-chan hesitated longer, but cities and crowds, even crowds composed of his own friends and future-family weren't 'home' to him, not like the wilderness was. Besides he didn't want to abandon 'Geta and he could see which way the other boy would chose. "Thanks, but..."

"Alright!." Chichi surrendered. "But you _are_ staying long enough for a good meal and you _will_ take proper supplies with you."

"Thanks Chichi," Goku-chan agreed with a happy smile. Even 'Geta relaxed enough to mutter a quick 'thank you' when he realized that no one was going to try to force him to stay.

* * *

Three months later both teens had reached their adult heights and regained the coordination their rapid growth spurt had temporarily robbed them of. They were both eager to resume training and to test how much their strength had increased.

Bulma decided their return was cause enough for a celebration. Before the day was out she had invited everyone to Capsule Corps for a bar-barque.

As was becoming customary Gohan and Videl managed a few minutes of polite chit-chat with the group before withdrawing for more in-depth conversations with each other. Chichi observed the young couple with an air of satisfaction. Hercule Satan looked as if he were on the verge of tears every time he saw he saw his 'little Sweetpea' with her boyfriend.

While Trunk, Goten and Maron had been wary of Boo initially they couldn't stay away once Boo started demonstrating the tricks he'd taught his puppy. 18 supervised the children and Boo, keeping a close and maternally nervous eye on all parties.

Meanwhile Goku-chan and 'Geta were rapidly getting tired of fielding comments about how much they'd grown.

A brief lull fell in the conversation and Goku-chan saw his chance to escape. "Vegeta-jiji, wanna spar?" he asked. His naturally boisterous voice carried easily and the lull turned into a hush as everyone waited to see how Vegeta would react to being called 'old man'.

'Geta was the first to respond. "Don't call him that," the teen hissed as he smacked the back of Goku-chan's head.

Gok rubbed the sore spot and shot 'Geta an injured look. "But that's what _yo_u call him," he pointed out.

"Not to his face Moron!" 'Geta replied irritably. Then he paled as he realized what he'd admitted.

Vegeta pointedly ignored the entire exchange. Most of the Z-fighters hid amused smirks, but Goku didn't bother, he took one look at Vegeta's expression and doubled over laughing. Vegeta uncrossed his arms long enough to shoot a weak ki bolt at his old rival. "It wasn't that amusing idiot," he said.

"Yes it was," Goku insisted.

Everything was put on hold for a few hours when the food was served.

As the evening progressed Yamcha and Vegeta got into a heated quarrel which ended when Goku intervened and used Instant Transmission to teleport Vegeta away. The two Saiyans returned an hour later looking worse for wear but distinctly satisfied with themselves.

"If they were gonna go spar they could have asked us along," Goku-chan complained to 'Geta.

'Geta nodded his agreement.

* * *

The months passed quickly and before long the Dragon Balls had regenerated.

After Bulma had the first Dragon Ball in her hands; "Just to make sure there was no temptation to cause mischief," she put Trunks and Goten in charge of finding the rest. A few hours later the job was done.

While everyone waited for Mr. Satan and Boo to arrive Vegeta drew his younger counterpart aside. "You could stay here," he said. "Until you're ready to face Frieza you could stay here... There won't be a repeat of what happened before."

"You're different since I came back," 'Geta commented frankly.

Vegeta shrugged.

"I'm you. Can't you at least tell me why you decided to stop being an evil bastard?"

Vegeta grimaced.

'Geta crossed his arms, stubbornly making it clear that he wouldn't be satisfied with a non-answer.

"I accepted that my family was the best thing that ever happened to me. Happy?"

'Geta nodded thoughtfully.

"So, are you staying or not?" Vegeta demanded.

"I need to think," 'Geta said.

Vegeta scowled. "Do not believe that you will survive if you return now. What I did that morning is nothing compared to what Frieza will do. And he will not permit you to run away. You know that."

"I know," 'Geta confirmed.

Meanwhile Goku and Goku-chan raided the kitchen at Capsule Corps for a last minute snack.

While Goku dug through the industrial-sized fridge Goku-chan sat perched on the central counter. He caught various sandwich fixings as Goku tossed them to him.

"Um, Old-Me..."

Normally Goku would have chuckled at the odd form of address, but Goku-chan sounded unusually serious. Goku turned around and waited for his counterpart to continue.

"You should be careful and really try not to die again," Goku-chan said. "It made everyone unhappy, especially Chichi and Gohan."

Goku sighed. He sat down at the table. "I love fighting," he said. "I really love it. The tougher the opponent the better. But other people get caught up in my fights and get hurt. I think I must do something to draw trouble; you know how much excitement we find. Gohan doesn't love fighting, it's not right for me to keep getting him into these things."

"But you being dead made him unhappy," Goku-chan reiterated. "They missed you."

Goku frowned. "That doesn't make sense. We missed Grandpa Gohan when he died, but we didn't know about the Other World. I didn't think I'd ever see him again after he died. Gohan and Chichi both know we'll see each other again eventually."

Goku-chan shrugged. "You remember about Bulma's 'girl-things'?"

'It's a girl thing' had always been Bulma's all purpose explanation for anything she did that didn't make sense to Goku. It had only taken Goku a few days to learn to smile and go along with any weird thing Bulma proposed unless he actually had a reason to refuse... And just not understanding why she wanted something didn't constitute a reason.

"Although missing people when you know they aren't gone forever might be a 'human thing' not a 'girl thing'," Goku-chan continued.

"I remember," Goku said acknowledging his younger self's point. Not understanding why people felt a certain way or needed a certain things didn't mean it was okay not to respect that they did feel that way. "Figuring the best path when they're all bad is tricky," Goku said. "I thought keeping them from getting drawn into my fights was more important to them than having me around."

Goku-chan grimaced. "Chichi has some things to say about that."

Goku smiled. "She's strong-willed," he commented. "Knows what she thinks."

"Yeah," Goku-chan agreed less enthusiastically.

"You'll get to like that," Goku said. "You never have to guess about how she feels."

"I suppose... She's nice, when she's not being bossy," Goku-chan admitted.

"She's not quite so bossy when she's not acting like a mother," Goku assured his younger-self. It had been hard _not_ to notice that Chichi treated the time-displayed boy like her third child.

Gohan leaned into the kitchen. "Mr. Satan and Boo are here," he called.

The Gokus exchanged a grin. Summoning Shenlong was always exciting, especially when there were new people to show him to.

Goten and Trunks were staring at Bulma with huge puppy-dog eyes. "Alright," Bulma surrendered. "You two can summon him, but just summon him, no wishes!"

"Yeah Mom," Trunks agreed.

"We promise," Goten added. He glanced at Trunks, "On three?"

Trunks nodded. "One."

"Two," Goten said.

"THREE... Shenlong! We summon you!" the boys cried together.

The sky went dark and the Eternal Dragon appeared. His scales glowed with supernatural light and his long body looped back and forth on itself in a nearly mesmeric pattern.

Even though Videl had seen this sight once before she gasped and clung to Gohan's arm. Her father cowered behind Boo while the Djinn stared up at the dragon with a child-like look of wonder.

"Hi Shenlong!" Goten called cheerfully. "Did you have a nice nap?"

Shenlong blinked at the small mortal in confusion. "I will grant two wishes," he intoned.

Chichi pulled her youngest son back. "Don't chitchat," she advised. "Shenlong doesn't like being kept on this plane for long."

Goku stepped forward. "Shenlong, could you please make everyone but us forget about Boo so they won't be afraid of him?"

Gohan groaned. He'd been lobbying for the wording 'forget everything since the day of the tournament' so that his classmates would forget about him being revealed as Saiyaman too. Videl patted his arm sympathetically although she agreed with his parents that it was better that Gohan not worry so much about hiding himself.

"Your wish is granted," Shenlong intoned. "What is your second wish?"

Before anyone could stop him Trunks shouted, "Shenlong! I wish my dad couldn't die, not ever!"

"Dragon, do not grant that wish," Vegeta ordered as he picked his son up by the scruff of the neck.

The assembled Z-fighters breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"Brat, what the hell were you thinking?" Vegeta demanded.

Trunks squirmed around in Vegeta's grasp until he was clinging to his father. Before Boo Vegeta never would have tolerated such a display. Now he just sighed and stalked inside carrying his son with him. When Bulma went to follow them Vegeta firmly shut the door in her face.

"I don't know if I should be annoyed at being shut out of my own house or delighted that Vegeta has finally stopped looking to me to act as a mediator between him and Trunks," Bulma muttered.2

"Ahem," Shenlong cleared his throat meaningfully.

"Er, right," Goku-chan said. "About our second wish." He wondered if they could ask not to be sent back immediately so they'd know if Trunks was alright.

"There's only one wish and we both have to get back," 'Geta pointed out. "I better make it."

Bulma put her hand on the boy's shoulder. "You really are welcome to stay here until you're ready to fight Frieza," she said quietly.

'Geta grinned at her. His eyes sparkled with the mischievous sense of humor that so very rarely made it to the surface with her Vegeta. "If I stay here for too long I'll be too old," he said.

"Too old for what?" Bulma asked.

"Too old for you," 'Geta replied. "Dragon!" he shouted. "Send_both_Goku and I back to the place and time you took Goku from!"

The Z-Fighters stared at 'Geta with expressions of jaw dropping shock. It only got worse when 'Geta grinned at them and waved goodbye.

Goten waved back as Shenlong announced, "Your wish is granted," and the two teenaged Saiyans vanished.

* * *

1: DBZ Viz Manga vol. 25

2: This story intersects with another of my stories: "Ignorance is Bliss"


	11. Epilog: Paradigm Shift

**Choice to be Different**

**Disclaimer: **Characters and premise belong to Akira Toriyama, I'm just borrowing them for some non-profit fun.

* * *

**Afterwords: **Paradigm Shift

Bulma climbed out of a taxi and opened her umbrella to shield herself from the heavy rains. Then she scanned the crowds flocking toward the 23rd Tenkaichi Budoukai, searching for her friends. It had been three years since the battle against the Demon King Piccolo. Three years since Goku had gone off to train with Kami-sama as impossible as that sounded. A scowl marred Bulma's pretty face; three years since her no-good boyfriend had taken off on his own training trip. "That jerk never even called," she complained to herself. Puar winced as she climbed out of taxi after Bulma. Oolong just rolled his eyes, in the last few years he'd heard Bulma's complaints about her absent, on-again, off-again boyfriend way too many times.

A few moments later the young woman spotted several familiar faces.

"Hey you- Long time no see!" Bulma cried as she hurried toward Master Roshi and Lunch.

"It is you Bulma! I though so!" Lunch greeted her enthusiastically.

Master Roshi's greet was a bit too enthusiastic, "My, my, my! Look at you! You've really grown up, haven't you!" he exclaimed as he patted her rear.

"Hands off my butt!!" Bulma snarled. For good measure she elbowed Roshi violently.

"Physically, at least…" Roshi muttered as he rubbed at his nose. He wondered if it was broken.

"Same to you!" Bulma snapped.

"Hey!" an almost familiar voice called.

They glanced around and spotted a tall young man wearing strange clothes and a turban. "A friend of yours?" Roshi asked. Bulma shook her head.

"Old Timer! You are back to life! Man, you all look great!" The stranger greeted them cheerfully. "Where's Kuririn and Yamcha and Tienshinhan and everybody? They in the gymnasium already?"

A stunning realization struck the group. "N-no way! G-Goku? Is it you?" they cried in disbelief. The cute, uber-powerful child they'd know had become a tall, handsome young man.

"Huh?! What are you talking about? Of course it's me!" Then Goku laughed. "Oh yeah, I grew. Everyone kept commenting about that."

"You can say that again!" Oolong exclaimed as he craned his neck back to stare up at Goku. The last time he'd seen Goku they'd been practically the same height.

The rain finally let up. Goku put up his umbrella and unwound the turban around his head. His hair was the same messy bird's nest that it had always been and somehow he just looked more right to the others once that had been revealed.

"Yoo-Hoo!" Kuririn called. They turned to see the rest of their friends approach. "Hey, we just bumped into each other over there!"

"Long time no see, Lord Muten Roshi," Tienshinhan greeted the old Master.

"I expected more of a reaction," Yamcha said.

"Maybe they're too shocked at our transformations!" Kuririn chimed in. "Look at us Lord Muten Roshi! Look how much I grew!" And indeed Kuririn had gained almost four inches.

"You look great Kuririn!" Goku exclaimed. "Now we're all here!"

"G-Goku? Is that you?" Kuririn stammered

"Yep!"

"Goku!! You idiot!! I've missed you so much!!" Kuririn cried as he hugged Goku. "I never got to say thank you!!"

"Th-that's Goku?" a stunned Yamcha asked Tienshinhan.

"So it seems..." the equally disbelieving tri-clops replied. (From DB #14)

"Would you stop rushing off?" an irate voice growled. "You act like Goten at an amusement park."

Goku turned around and grinned. "Hey 'Geta! I found them!"

Bulma's eyes widened as she caught sight of Goku's friend. The navy blue gi he wore showed off every line of an utterly perfect physique. His coloration was very similar to Goku's, but his flame-like shock of black hair gave him an entirely different look of wildness from Goku's bird's nest. And his eyes… He looked at them as if she were the only one in the group who mattered at all. Bulma felt an electric shock travel down her spine as their eyes met.

Without taking his eyes off her, he elbowed Goku roughly. "Introduce me," he ordered.

Goku noted 'Geta's fixation on Bulma and grinned mischievously. "Oh yeah! I should introduce you to _everyone_. 'Geta, this is Muten Roshi, the Turtle Hermit and my first Martial Arts master. Master Roshi, I'd like you to meet my friend Vegeta."

Roshi grinned and shook 'Geta's hand. "Pleased to meet you, Vegeta. Any friend of Goku's…"

"This is Lunch." Goku leaned closer to 'Geta, "Watch out if she sneezes," he whispered. "Lunch, Vegeta."

"It's very nice to meet you," Lunch replied. "Will you be participating in the tournament with Goku and the others?"

"Yes," 'Geta replied shortly.

"We'll be sure to cheer for you," Lunch said and 'Geta looked slightly embarrassed about his abruptness.

Goku turned to Kuririn. "And this is my friend Kuririn. He and I studied together under Master Roshi when I was eleven. Kuririn, Vegeta."

"Nice to meet you," Kuririn said with a grin as he caught on to what Goku was doing.

"This is Yamcha. He was a bandit when I first met him. Then he went to High School with Bulma." Goku debated whether or not to mention that Yamcha and Bulma had been dating on and off for the last seven years. In the end he decided against borrowing trouble. "Yamcha, Vegeta."

Yamcha glared at Vegeta and moved proprietarily closer to Bulma. Bulma gave him a dirty look and took a step away.

"This is Oolong. He changes shape. Oolong, Vegeta."

"Like he cares who I am," Oolong laughed. 'Geta was beginning to look distinctly impatient.

"This is Tien and Chaozu," Goku continued blithely. "They're students of the Crane School. Tien won the 22nd Tournament."

Tien nodded and Chaotzu waved.

'Geta gave Goku a dark look then stepped toward Bulma. "I'm Ouji Vegeta, and you are?"

"Ouji huh?" Bulma asked lightly. She smiled warmly for Goku's hansome and intense friend. "I'm Bulma Briefs, western order on the names." She offered 'Geta her hand.

Yamcha cleared his throat meaningfully when 'Geta raised her hand to his lips and took his sweet time about releasing it.

"Oh shush," Bulma told Yamcha dismissively. "After three years without a word from you it's not as if we're still an item." She looped her arm through 'Geta's. "So tell me about yourself."

As they turned away Puar squeaked "He's got a tail like Goku's!"

Goku laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Oh yeah. I forgot to mention that. 'Geta and I come from the same planet."

For a moment everyone just stared at Goku. "The same planet?" Oolong managed finally. "As in _not-_Earth?"

"Yep," Goku replied. "We're Saiyan, not Human."

"What sort of nonsense have you been telling him?" Yamcha accused 'Geta.

'Geta glared at the scarred fighter.

"Now hold on a minute there, Yamcha," Roshi interrupted. "I remember my old student Gohan telling me about how he saw a meteor fall out of the sky and when he went to investigate he found a strange round ball in the crater and inside the sphere was a baby." Roshi nodded toward Goku.

"So you're telling us that Goku really is an alien," Oolong said. "Well, that explains a few things."

"So, um, not to be rude or anything, but why was Goku sent here as a baby and why did you come here?" Bulma asked.

'Geta skipped over Bulma's first question. "My planet, Vegeta-sai was destroyed by a monster called Frieza," he explained. His voice thickened with loathing as he spoke. "Frieza took me from my planet; he told me if I obeyed him my planet and my people would be spared. He lied. He forced me to serve him for ten years, but I will see him destroyed." 'Geta took a deep breath and swallowed back his hate. More calmly he continued. "I still need to grow stronger before I can face him. Goku is a good training partner, the Earth seems like a good place to stay until I'm ready to hunt Frieza down."

"Ouji isn't a family name is it?" Bulma realized.

"No," Vegeta said simply.

"So, Goku, how close is he to your level?" Kuririn whispered.

"Oh I've almost caught up to him," Goku replied cheerfully. "Of course 'Geta was sort sick when we first met. I'm probably going to have to work even harder now that he's healthy again."

"So how strong is this Frieza?" Tienshinhan asked solemnly.

"Strong," Goku replied seriously. " 'Geta needs to get a whole lot stronger before he can fight Frieza. We were thinking three or four more years of training."

"Does he improve as quickly as you, Goku?" Roshi asked. He could barely fit his mind around the idea of the sort of power Goku was talking about needing.

"Almost," Goku said. He looked a little embarrassed. He didn't want to sound like he was bragging. "But 'Geta started at a much higher level than I did. Now that I've almost caught up I might not improve as fast anymore." He didn't want to admit that the older Vegeta had said flat out that the reason Goku had always improved so quickly when he encountered a new challenge was because no one he'd encountered before his trip to the future had been able to provide him with the sort of challenge a growing Saiyan needed to truly reach his full potential. 'Geta had suffered from the opposite problem; he'd been pushed too far, too fast until his body simply hadn't been able to tolerate the stress anymore.

In the unperturbed timeline Goku's problem would have eventually righted itself as he went on finding more and more challenging opponents. Vegeta, on the other hand, had irreparable harm done to him by the time he'd reached adulthood, limiting his top potential. In this timeline, created by Trunks and Goten's impulsive wish, Goku had found someone who could provide him with a consistent challenge much sooner and 'Geta had escape Frieza with two decades less accumulative damage to his body and soul.

"**Contestants! Please gather in the gym for the semi-final matches!" **The loud speaker blared.

Goku and his friend all headed inside to draw lots for the qualifying matches. As they walked in a pretty, dark-haired girl walked up behind Goku and tapped him on the shoulder. "Son Goku?" she asked with a smile.

Goku smiled back, easily recognizing the girl from the woman he'd gotten to know during the years he'd spent in the future as the mother of his children-yet-to-be. "Hey Chichi! Is it time for us to get married?"

There was a soft thud as Kuririn fainted from shock.

Chichi's smile broadened, then she made an effort to look stern. "You were _supposed _to come ask Daddy for my hand."

"I was?" Goku replied innocently.

"I guess you're just going to have to prove yourself," Chichi declared. "I'm entered in the Tournament too. If you don't place ahead of me I won't marry you."

"Okay," Goku replied agreeably. "I'll come watch your preliminary rounds when I can."

Chichi smiled. "I'll do the same," she said. "See you later."

Once Chichi left Kuririn said "I thought you were training with Kami-sama, not finding a girlfriend!"

Goku scratched the back of his head. "Actually I didn't train with Kami-sama very long. See first-"

Goku broke off when 'Geta elbowed him, a not-so-subtle reminder that they weren't supposed to discuss the future.

"Oops," Goku said. "Well, I trained with some other people for awhile. Then, when I actually got back to Kami-sama he said there wasn't much left that he could teach me."

After a moment of bug-eyed staring, Kuririn shook his head. "And you found a hot girl who wants to marry you. Man Goku, you have all the luck!"

"No, I met Chichi a long time ago," Goku corrected, "Even before I met you."

This time it was Yamcha who's eyes were bugging-out. "Chichi? That was THAT Chichi?"

Goku nodded. "She got a lot taller, just like me," he said.

"She did a hell of a lot more than getting taller!" Yamcha muttered.

When the lots were drawn Chaozu used his telekinetic powers to scatter their group among the blocks at Tien's urging. It just wouldn't be any fun if they ended up facing each other right off the bat.

Goku drew the first match in his block. The rest of the group watched eagerly to see how much he'd improved since his battle against Piccolo. But it quickly became apparent that it would be some time before Son Goku found an opponent good enough to truly give him an opportunity to display his skills.

Like Goku, the other had taken full advantage of the last three years and all showed tremendous improvement as they advanced through the ranks.

"Come on, I think Vegeta's up," Kuririn said. "I haven't gotten to watch him fight yet."

"Where's Goku?" Yamcha asked.

Kuririn grinned and pointed. Goku was raptly watching Chichi's fight. Kuririn walked over. "She's pretty good huh?" he asked.

"Her form's great," Goku replied.

Kuririn snickered. "Oh yeah, I'll bet you think she has a nice form," he said suggestively.

Goku looked confused for a moment. But after nearly five years of traveling with 'Geta he'd become more accustom to statements with double meanings. "She's pretty too, I guess," he agreed in a voice that was a touch too loud.

At first Chichi blushed and smiled. At the 'I guess' she knocked her opponent out of the ring then stomped over and shouted "You guess!?" then stormed off.

"Did I do something wrong?" Goku asked.

Kuririn and Yamcha just shook their heads in disbelief.

"Well, come on," Yamcha said. "I want to see your friend Vegeta fight."

"Oh yeah, he's up," Goku said. The three of them found 'Geta squaring off against a heavy-set, masked fighter who's stance looked vaguely familiar to Goku.

'Geta stood with his arms crossed over his chest. He gave the other fighter a challenging glare. The masked man shouted and charged. 'Geta dropped into a slight crouch and met the other fighter's charge with a forceful blow to the chest. The combined force of 'Geta's punch and the other fighter's own momentum was a devastating blow. The sound of cracking ribs sent winces throughout the audience. 'Geta followed up the attack with a kick that tossed his opponent cleanly out of the ring.

Goku scowled as he went to the masked fighter's aid. Once he'd handed the stout man over to the medical attendants he turned to 'Geta. "Be nice!" he ordered. This is just a tournament; don't do more damage than you have to."

"Fine," 'Geta snapped, "Since they clearly can't take a real battle."

"I don't think I like him," Yamcha said to Kuririn.

"Well he did agree to be less brutal. What he did wasn't any worse than Tien breaking your leg last year. Tien turned out to be a good guy," Kuririn defended 'Geta reluctantly.

There was an angry shout from across the room. "That was Tien," Kuririn said. They rushed across the room to find Tien crouched on the floor cradling Chaozu in his arms and glaring up at a smirking man.

The man wore Chinese style robes and had his hair drawn back into a long que and half of his face was obscured by the heavy goggles he wore. "Heh, Heh, Heh! Don't worry he's alive. Just barely. After all, if I kill him I'll be unjustly disqualified."

"Wh-what!" Tien snarled. Then his eyes widened in shock as he recognized Chaozu's assailant.

"Long time no see Tienshinhan. And… Son Goku… was it?" the man said.

"Taopaipai!" Goku exclaimed as he recognized the assassin he had believed he'd killed years ago. "Is that you!?"

"Heh, heh, heh," Taopaipai laughed wickedly. "You finally noticed, did you?"

Tienshinhan was beginning to sweat. "Master Taopaipai, I thought you died!"

"Oh please! I'd never let myself die so eaily!" Taopaipai sneered. "It's true I was in pretty bad shape, so it took me quite a while to bounce back…"

"Um, could you please move off the ring?" The referee requested. "W-we can't hold the next match, so…"

"Quit yapping-unless you want to die an early death!" Taopaipai snapped.

"Goku, who is that guy?" Kuririn asked.

"Taopaipai, a hired assassin," Goku explained. "And as it turns out, the younger broter of the Crane Master… Which makes him the mentor of Tienshinhan and Chaozu."

"Wh-what!" Yamcha exclaimed.

"I thought I killed him though," Goku continued. 'Geta noted the utter lack of remorse in Goku's tone with satisfaction. Sometimes the other Saiyan's moral beliefs drove him to distraction. At least this showed that Goku could kill an enemy if he had to, it was something 'Geta had occasionally wondered about.

"I had to spend every cent I'd ever earned to have myself brought back to life as a cyborg!" Taopaipai continued. "But thanks to that, I now have several times the power I had before. Son Goku, get past these preliminaries!" Taopaipai commanded. "I want to meet you in the final rounds. Not to win, of course… only to take your life. And then it's you turn, Tienshinhan. It seems you turned your coat to the Kame school, eh? You traitor."

"It's… it's not that I've joined the Muten Roshi…" Tienshinhan protested. "But I did come to wonder if some of what I learned from you may have been wrong..."

"Wash you neck and prepare for the axe!" Taopaipai ordered.

"Very well," Tien replied nervously. Then his resolve hardened. "I will fight you… for Chaozu as well."

"Ha ha ha… As always, you are a vainglorious fool. I am looking forward to it," Taopaipai declared. (DB #14)

The last match of the qualifying round saw 'Geta fighting an unperposing looking man who called himself Shen. "I don't want to reveal myself so early," Shen muttered as he pushed up his glasses and frowned at the dilemma he'd found himself in.

The fight was a strange thing to watch. Shen stumbled and tripped and somehow managed to narrowly elude 'Geta's attacks. And somehow Shen's clumsy moves came close to actually hitting 'Geta.

"Maybe Vegeta isn't so good after all," Yamcha said smugly.

Goku shook his head. "There's something funny about that guy," he said.

Meanwhile 'Geta was rapidly losing patience. "Would you stop screwing around?" he snarled.

"Who me?" Shen asked innocently.

'Geta growled low in his throat. "Gallic Gun!" he shouted.

"Hit the deck!" Goku exclaimed. He grabbed everyone near him and shoved them out of the way.

Shen had a second to blink before 'Geta's blast hit him. Somehow Shen still managed to deflect the better part of the blast away from the crowd and through the roof before he was thrown out of the ring by the force of 'Geta's attack.

" 'Geta!" Goku shouted.

"What? It wasn't even at full power!" 'Geta complained.

Goku sighed and went to help Shen extract himself from the wall.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Shen insisted. "I was a fool to think I could pursue two objectives at once. Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men…"

"Ouji Vegeta advances to the finals!" the referee announced. And with that the preliminary rounds were concluded. Then the matches for the first round of the finals were declared: Taopaipai vs. Tienshinhan, Son Goku vs. Mao Chichi, Demon Jr. vs. Kuririn and lastly Vegeta vs. Yamcha.

* * *

With the qualifying matches completed Goku, Kuririn, Yamcha and 'Geta met up with Master Roshi, Bulma and the others again.

To Yamcha's intense dismay Bulma linked her arm with 'Geta's and subtly put some space between the two of them and the rest of the group. "So you've traveled through space. What's it like?" Bulma asked. "How do you deal with interstellar distances, what sort of power do your ships run on?"

'Geta relaxed when he realized Bulma was more interested in grilling him about advanced technology than in his past. Bulma was slightly disappointed when she realized 'Geta was only familiar with the use of technology not the innards of it but he was intelligent and observant. With Bulma's questions to guide him they discovered 'Geta knew more about the subject than he had realized.

'So he's got a ki attack like Goku's Kamehameha wave,' Yamcha thought to himself. 'So do I and I wouldn't have had to break it out against some klutz in the prelims. I'm _glad_ my first fight is against him!"

* * *

Elsewhere.

Rather than leaving after his defeat in the preliminary matches Shen had sought out Piccolo. "I had planned to face you in the Tournament," Shen declared. There was no trace of the clueless, inept martial artist who'd lost to 'Geta left in his manner.

"Then you were fortunate to be eliminated," Piccolo stated.

"You're planning to try for world domination again as soon as you kill Son Goku and get rid of everyone in your way right? My dear Piccolo, what a ridiculous thought, as always. I won't let you have your way!" (DB #15)

Tienshinhan was on his way to the arena after seeing Chaozu comfortably settled in the infirmary when he noticed the disturbance.

He arrived just in time to see a darkly swirling vortex rebound off Piccolo to strike the unpreposing fighter Vegeta had eliminated in the preliminaries. A being that looked very much like Piccolo was drawn out of Shen and trapped in a small bottle. Piccolo picked up the bottle and stalked toward Tien.

While staring intently at the three-eyed fighter, Piccolo swallowed the bottle. "Tell Son Goku what has transpired here," Piccolo ordered. "Tell him Kami is no more and that he will be the next to fall before me."

* * *

"Taopaipai eh?" Roshi asked. "That's a bother and he knows Tienshinhan's tricks as well."

"It's not big deal!" Goku declared.

"Huh?!" Yamcha exclaimed.

"That guy's no match for Tienshinhan!" Goku insisted.

"I can not let that statement slide." The group turned to see that the Crane Master had come up behind them. He sneered at them. "Let me give you a piece of advice – you ought to run before you Turtle School bumblers are all cooked in your shells!"

A low, dark chuckle interrupted the Crane Master's taunts.

"What's so funny?" he snapped.

"You," 'Geta replied coolly. "That someone as pathetic as you could consider himself a threat."

"I'll show you pathetic!" the Crane Master snarled.

"Please do," 'Geta replied.

The Crane Master punched 'Geta squarely in the face. He put all his power into the blow.

'Geta smiled at the sound of cracking bones.

The Crane Master shrieked in pain and cradled his broken hand against his chest. "You're next!" he hissed. "After that traitor Teinshinhan and Son Goku, my brother Taopaipai will come for you next!"

'Geta snorted and turned his back contemptuously on the man. "Well?" he asked Goku. "Are you going to yell at me again?"

"Why?" Goku replied with a shrug. "He did it to himself."

"You've been fussing at me like an old woman all day," 'Geta complained.

"Only because you've been stomping around like a bull in a China shop," Goku replied.

As they continued toward the stands Bulma asked 'Geta "Are you sure you and Goku are friends? He doesn't normally snap back at people."

"I spent the last three years watching him get more and more differential, trying not to frighten the weaklings we came across while we traveled." 'Geta shook his head in disgust. Where he came from a person only deferred to someone who was unquestionably stronger than they were. "If he didn't push back when I pushed him I would have gone insane. A warrior ought to act like a warrior," he muttered.

"Oh dear. We aren't going to be able to see anything," Lunch sighed as they reached the arena.

"Might as well be standing behind a wall," Oolong complained glaring at the backs of the people who'd gotten there ahead of him.

"This won't do," Bulma said. She glanced around for something that would induce Lunch to sneeze.

"You want them to move?" 'Geta asked. Bulma nodded. 'Geta wrapped his arm around her waist then summoned a wave of killing intent. The crowd didn't understand what they were feeling but they knew they had to get away. Puar dove into Yamcha's arms. Oolong and Lunch hid behind Roshi, Goku and Kuririn. Bulma felt the wave of killing intent but 'Geta's arm around her was gentle and she felt protected.

"Scary," Puar whispered.

"It's just a show," Yamcha said. He told himself he was saying it for Puar's benefit rather than his own. After all, Vegeta was Goku's friend, he couldn't possibly be as, well, as evil as that aura hinted.

Goku rolled his eyes and shook his head at 'Geta. 'Geta shrugged. He glanced toward Bulma who was nestled tightly against him, and grinned. Goku gave in and smiled back.

"We better get back to the competitor's area," Goku suggested.

As soon as they returned Tienshinhan pulled Goku aside to tell him what had happened between Piccolo and Shen.

"We go on with the tournament," Goku said. "If he's here for me he won't want to be disqualified before the finals. We're in opposite brackets, the only way we'll meet is if we both make it to the finals."

Tien nodded. "So it's a Tournament like any other, only if Piccolo wins the stakes are world domination."

Goku shrugged. "Good luck against Taopaipai… not that you'll need it."

In the first match of the finals Tien quickly proved that he'd surpassed his old mentor; which led to Taopaipai breaking out weapons. Even so Tien defeated him cleanly and easily.

The next match saw Chichi and Goku meeting in the ring.

"Show me what you've got," Chichi invited. She settled into her stance.

Goku grinned, "You first."

"You asked for it," Chichi said. She launched a kick at him. Goku knocked her foot aside.

After several minutes watching them from the sidelines Oolong shouted. "Fight now, flirt with her later!"

Goku flushed as he realized he had been holding back more than he normally would even in a tournament simply because he was enjoying sparring with Chichi. She didn't have his speed or power but there was a clean efficiency to her movements that he found very appealing.

"I hope we can do this more later," Goku said as he reluctantly employed a more forceful attack and knocked Chichi out of the ring.

"Goku advances!" the announcer shouted.

Chichi hopped back up and borrowed the mike from the surprised announcer. "If any of you want to stick around, me and Goku are getting' married right after the Tournament," she declared.

"Guess he didn't have time to flirt later," Oolong commented as Goku and Chichi left the ring arm-in-arm.

Kuririn made a valiant showing against Piccolo but he had no chance against the Demon King's power.

Next 'Geta and Yamcha entered the ring.

"Don't think I haven't noticed the way you look at _my_ girlfriend," Yamcha said darkly.

"Good," 'Geta replied. He stood with his arms cross, staring haughtily at Yamcha. "Then you can see which way the wind is blowing. Make it easy on yourself: Get out of my way."

"Well, it seems romance is certainly in the air at this tournament," the announcer declared. "Just a few matches ago we witnessed a proposal. And these two competitors appear to be romantic rivals."

"Oh Bulma! They're fighting over you!" Lunch said, she sounded distressed.

"Isn't it great?" Bulma replied. "Vegeta is amazingly gorgeous and Yamcha hasn't done anything this romantic in ages."

"You're a fickle wench," Oolong commented.

"Says the guy who used to keep a harem," Bulma retorted. "And it's not as if they wouldn't be fighting anyways."

"You've got a hell of a lot of nerve," Yamcha snarled at 'Geta. "Bulma and I have been together for ages. You can't just waltz in and sweep her off her feet."

"On and off for seven years," Bulma contributed. "And he's welcome to try! It serves you right for taking me for granted!"

"It seems you're badly misinformed about what I can and cannot do," 'Geta said. His low voice had an edge of malicious amusement to it.

Goku watched as Yamcha attacked. 'Geta dodged each blow with such speed that to the untrained eye it would appear that 'Geta had never moved at all. 'Geta kept his arms crossed and his expression bored the whole time.

" 'Geta took off his weighted clothes before the match," Goku said quietly.

"Who doesn't?" Kuririn asked, he sounded puzzled.

"Watch," Goku said unhappily.

Kuririn turned back to the ring. After a few moments he winced in sympathy for Yamcha.

When Goku had held back against Chichi he'd done it to let her show-off her abilities. 'Geta was dragging out his match solely to make the gap between Yamcha's level and his own blatantly obvious. He made Yamcha look like a child flailing at shadows.

Frustrated and angry, Yamcha withdrew to one side of the ring. He grasped his left wrist with his right hand and focused his ki into the palm of his hand. A ball of intensely spinning spirit energy formed. Yamcha directed it at 'Geta with a shout of "Sokidan!"

'Geta watched it coming then dispelled it with a shout. Yamcha's mouth dropped open and he just stared at 'Geta in shock. Seeing the finishing move he'd worked so hard to perfect blown away without effort sapped his will to fight.

'Geta's arms dropped to his sides. He looked away from Yamcha, suddenly ashamed. He'd reduced whole planets to looking at him with that sort of hopelessness. More faces than 'Geta could possibly count flashed past his mind's eye and they all had that empty, broken gaze as they waited for death at his hands.

'Geta knocked Yamcha out of bounds with an almost gentle shove. Before his victory could be announced he turned and walked out of the arena.

Goku took one look at 'Geta's face and refrained from saying anything about the match.

Meanwhile, Yamcha shook off his shock. As he left the arena he muttered, "When Vegeta fights that Demon Jr. guy I'm not sure who I'll be cheering against."

Goku sighed. 'Geta's talent for NOT making friends had struck again. "Give him a chance," he said. It had been easier in the future where everyone had been accustomed to Vegeta's quirks and accepting of them. Although Goku had to admit that he hadn't noticed any love lost between the future versions of Yamcha and Vegeta either.

"Contestant Tienshinhan, Contestant Son Goku, please make your way to the ring," the announcer called.

The following match was an impressive display of skill but to Tien it was apparent that he hadn't come close to pushing Goku's limits. Once he'd exhausted his abilities he gracefully accepted his defeat and wished Goku luck in the finals.

"Contestant Demon Jr, Contestant Ouji Vegeta, please make your way to the ring."

Vegeta and Piccolo exchanged contemptuous glares. Then Vegeta snorted. "This isn't my fight and you're not worth my time," he declared. To everyone's shock he turned around and walked out of the ring.

"Um, Demon Jr. is declared the victor by default," the surprised announcer managed.

" 'Geta, you didn't have to do that," Goku said. "It's a tournament and I don't care who takes care of stopping Piccolo as long as it gets done."

"You wouldn't have liked how I dealt with him," 'Geta stated. "I'm letting you deal with your enemy the way you see fit. I expect you to do the same when it comes to Frieza."

"You still plan to kill him," Goku sighed.

"I want him to die screaming in agony and begging me for mercy," 'Geta stated bluntly. "But I'll settle for just killing him because you're too squeamish to standby if I truly tried to make him pay for all that he's done."

"I'm not gonna quit arguing that everybody deserves a second chance," Goku said. "But you really don't have to worry about me breaking my promise; I won't interfere."

"Not unless I die," Vegeta continued, feeling the need to remind Goku of the whole promise. "And if I do die, you will take full advantage of whatever damage I've managed to inflict to finish the job of killing Frieza."

Goku looked distinctly unhappy, but he nodded. "If it comes to that I'll do my best to kill him," he said.

"Due to this unexpected development we will immediately proceed to the Championship match between Son Goku, last year's runner-up, and Demon Jr., a new comer to the Tenkaichi Budoukai who has shown himself to be a fearsome competitor."

Goku returned to the ring to face Piccolo. And 'Geta turned to the rest of the group. "Scatter through the crowd," he ordered.

"What? Why?" Kuririn asked.

'Geta gave the smaller man a contemptuous look. "The crowd is full of weaklings completely incapable of defending themselves. There will be collateral damage when those two fight. And it won't be long before Piccolo realizes that he can't possibly win. Then he may notice that he's surrounded by potential hostages."

Kuririn gulped and he and the others quickly followed 'Geta's suggestion. 'Geta and Yamcha positioned themselves at Bulma's right and left shoulder respectively and proceeded to glare at each other. Secretly 'Geta realized he was glad that the other man had recovered his spirit so quickly.

Meanwhile in the ring Goku and Piccolo sized each other up.

"We don't have to be enemies," Goku said as he remembered the future-Piccolo. "You don't have to be the bad guy."

Piccolo laughed harshly. "You naive fool, do you know what I am? I'm everything your precious Kami was ashamed of, everything of himself that he wanted to throw away and forget. There is no good in me for you to appeal to. I am pure evil."

"But you're not," Goku protested. "You're a whole person, you have a choice."

"_Kami_ had a choice," Piccolo snarled. "And he chose to cast me out. Now you, and the world, will have to pay for that choice! I'm going to enjoy killing you."

"You won't kill me," Goku said. There was no boast in his tone; he stated it as simple fact. And Piccolo felt his confidence waver.

Their first exchange of blows removed any doubts Piccolo might have harbored about the truth of Goku's words. He could feel that Goku was holding back, trying not to hurt him too badly. Then Piccolo smiled. "Your friend told you what became of your precious Kami, didn't he?"

"Tien told us," Goku confirmed.

"What will you do? Unless you kill me you will never retrieve that jug. But if you kill me… he dies too. What a dilemma, eh?"

"Not really." Goku shook his head. "I wasn't planning on killing you anyway."

"Then you truly are a fool," Piccolo replied.

"Maybe," Goku agreed amiably.

And then Piccolo grew to gigantic proportions.

"Oh man, how can Goku win against that?" Oolong despaired. "The guy's a monster."

"Where's a moon when you need one?" Yamcha asked. "Sure Goku would go berserk but his Oozaru state would level the playing field."

"He has learned to control the Oozaru," 'Geta informed Yamcha scornfully. "And if he wanted to use that form he would. I taught him the False Moon technique myself."

"That big I can handle," Goku declared. Then he proved the truth of that statement by flipping the giant Piccolo onto his back. "If you got much bigger, that would be a problem."

Piccolo laughed. "You think this is my limit?" he asked as he grew even larger. When Piccolo finished his massive feet just barely fit into the ring. Goku had to take care not to lose the match by ring-out simply because there was no-where to stand that wasn't taken up by Piccolo. "Wow, you are big," Goku said.

"I'll squash you like the annoying bug-" Piccolo began only to be cut off as Goku flew into his mouth.

Piccolo's expression contorted in pain. He choked then coughed and spat Goku back out. The mucous-coated Saiyan triumphantly held the bottle Piccolo had sealed Kami in aloft.

"That was insane!" Kuririn exclaimed. "Insane, but brilliant."

Goku tossed the bottle to Tien and turned back to his fight. With Goku's handicap gone the battle turned into a one-sided route. After nearly five years of sparring against 'Geta and over a year of training in the Gravity Room with 'Geta's counterpart as his Sensei Goku's strength and skills had progressed at an unprecedented rate. Goku didn't know it but he'd already surpassed the level his alternate reality counterpart achieved while training on the North Kai's planet, before _his_ first meeting with Vegeta. Goku left Piccolo in a crumpled heap on the floor of the arena.

The announcer stepped forward and began the count. "One… Two… Three…"

"You did it Goku!" Kuririn cheered. "You won the tournament!"

Goku grinned broadly and flashed Kuririn a victory sign. Behind the distracted Saiyan Piccolo pushed himself up onto one elbow. He leveled a killing stare at Goku's unprotected back.

"Goku!" Chichi screamed in warning as the deadly beam erupted from Piccolo's eyes.

Almost negligently Goku turned and batted Piccolo's beam away. Piccolo sank back in defeat upon seeing the casual display of power. In that moment he realized that Goku had been holding back throughout their fight. Humiliated and furious the Namekian slunk away. "You haven't seen the last of me," he hissed as he left the arena.

Once the threat was gone and Goku had duly been declared the champion of the 23rd Tenkaichi Budoukai, a determined Chichi descended on the gathering.

She smiled at Kami. "You're really Kami-sama?" she asked.

He nodded cautiously.

"Do you do wedding?"

If Chichi had been left to her own devices for a few minutes longer she and Goku would have taken their vows then and there, in their fighting gear, but Bulma stepped in and in a short order a proper ceremony was coming together.

"Alright boys, the flowers and decorations are on their way. We're going to go get Chichi properly decked out," Bulma declared as she and Lunch steered Chichi toward Bulma's jet-copter. "I expect you guys to take care of getting Goku presentable. In fact I expect to see each and every one of you in tuxes by the time Lunch and I get back with Chichi-chan, capish?"

Yamcha and Kuririn swallowed nervously and nodded. Bulma's fiery gaze swept over the other males and they quickly agreed as well.

Then Bulma pulled 'Geta aside. "Chichi doesn't have clue that she needs a marriage license," Bulma confided. "Vegeta, can I trust you to take care of it? It might take a little of whatever it was you did to scare the crowd earlier to get one in the next hour."

Bulma stared beseechingly into 'Geta's eyes and his breath caught as he lost himself in their depths. He'd know that his older counter-part had been willing to die for this woman but until that moment he'd never quite realized just how beautiful, how desirable she was. "You can trust me," he heard himself promise.

"Thanks Vegeta," Bulma said. Then she leaned close and kissed him.

'Geta flushed and for several moments he just stood there, stunned. Then he remembered what he was supposed to be doing. He looked around, grabbed one of the monks by the collar of his robe and demanded, "You! What is a marriage license?"

Somehow, in defiance of all probability, within just a few hours it all came together. The front of the temple where the Tenkaichi Budoukai was held was decked out with flowers and ribbons. Everyone had managed to find formal wear and Bulma had even managed to arrange for some music.

Goku tugged at the neck of his tux while he waited for Chichi to make her entrance. "Why are these clothes so uncomfortable," he complained.

"So everyone can tell who's not used to formal dress," 'Geta replied. "Now stop fussing. It makes you look like a rube."

Kuririn flushed and quickly put his hands behind his back so he wouldn't be tempted to fidget any further.

"Why do I have to wear this?" Goku demanded. He was still tugging at the neck, certain that the bow-tie was trying to strangle him.

"Because Bulma said," Kuririn reminded him. "You know how scary…"

He cut himself off abruptly as the music started.

'Geta watched appreciatively as Bulma and Lunch preceded Chichi down the aisle. The girls wore long green dresses; Bulma's hugged her curves tightly and was very low cut. They took their positions across from 'Geta and Kuririn.

The music changed and Chichi made her entrance escorted by Master Roshi. "Wow," Goku exclaimed. Chichi blushed and smiled. 'Geta rolled his eyes.

"I wish we could have gotten your Dad here in time," Roshi whispered to Chichi.

"Daddy'll understand," Chichi replied. "I'm not letting Goku disappear on me again!"

Roshi put Chichi's hand in Goku's. "Remember everything I told you," he said.

"Uh-huh," Goku replied distractedly. His eyes never left Chichi.

"We are gathered here today…" Kami-sama began.

"…You may kiss your bride," he concluded.

Goku looked puzzled. Kuririn groaned. Roshi shook his head, "He forgot." Chichi took matters into her own hands. She caught Goku's shoulders, stretched up on her toes and kissed the startled Saiyan fiercely.

"May I present Son Goku and Chichi."

'Geta offered Bulma his arm and they followed the newly-weds out.

That evening, after Goku and Chichi had departed, as the reception began to wind down, Bulma had a realization. "Vegeta, you were staying with Goku weren't you?" she said. "You don't have a place to stay. I mean no one knew Goku was going to finish the tournament married."

'Geta remembered the wedding picture in the Sons' future living room and smiled to himself.

"I know Goku'll feel just terrible when he remembers," Bulma said. "Why don't you come stay at Capsule Corp? We have tons of rooms."

'Geta grinned. Everything was going according to plan.

* * *

**Author's Note: ** A wedding planned in just a matter of hours, that's something that exceeds suspension of doubt if ever there was a thing. I've got six months to plan mine and I'm still not sure that's going to be enough time!

Well that's it for "Choice to be Different", 'Geta has been introduced to the gang and the new timeline has been kicked off. I do have a couple of sequels planned, at least to take this time line through their confrontation with Frieza. However this is a good breaking off point and as you may have guessed from the previous sentence I'm going to have less time for writing for a while.

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, it's been a blast.


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